


Bewitched

by Mellica



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, I have no idea how to put good tags, King Shiro (Voltron), Knight Adam (Voltron), M/M, Multi, Prince Keith (Voltron), Secret Relationship, Witch Lance (Voltron), Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:48:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 42,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26128288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mellica/pseuds/Mellica
Summary: Traumatized by the witches’ reign of terror, the Kingdom of Marmora is known for the cruel fate awainting those with the mark of the magical beings.Keith, the Prince of the kingdom, was never bothered by the tradition, he knows more than anyone else the monstrosity of witches. His only trouble is the lifeless existence his title locked him in. But everything will change when his eyes meet the purple gaze of one of those magical being…
Relationships: Adam & Shiro (Voltron), Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Allura/Lotor (Voltron), Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 74





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> I'm so excited to share the first chapter of Bewitched, here on AO3! Bewitched is (for those who don't know already) a story that I've been sharing on my account (@thankyou_klance on instagram) little by little, separating the whole chapter in 13 parts. I'm not alone in this project since I have by my side two incredible artists @bilawelle_panda and @shuideleau on instagram who are creating wonderful illustrations and covers for this story.
> 
> I also want to add that Bewitched is originally a story shared on my instagram account. I write a whole chapter that I separate in different parts and then share every 3 days on my instagram. When all the parts of one chapter are shared on my instagram I then post the completed chapter on AO3 so know that if I don't update on AO3 for one month or more, it's because I'm still sharing little by little on instagram. So if you'd rather read everything little by little you can join me on instagram, and if you'd rather wait a long time but have a completed chapter every time, you can stay here and wait!
> 
> Hope I was clear enough, and more than anything, I truly hope that you will like this story.  
> Thank you for your attention toward Bewitched!
> 
> Enjoy your reading ♥

“Did you know, Keith, that there is a telling about witches being the origin of humanity?”

A warm smile on her face, a woman was standing there, looking at Keith. Who she was, he did not know, but her scent really seemed familiar.

“This is why every human in the world has a bit of magic in them, but only a few have enough to be considered as a witch. You have no mark, so you are just a simple human.”

Why was she saying such obvious things? He already knew about witches… everyone knew about witches.

“Did you know, Keith, that some witches are breathing right next to you, fearing the day humans would find them out?”

What was she talking about? He wanted to ask more, to know more… but before he could, another voice pierced the oneiric silence reigning at this moment.

“Keith… Keith… I beg you Keith…”

That voice… What was that voice again?

“Keith… open your eyes…”

A dream… yes. He had dreamt about this so many times already. Almost every night.

“Keith… Oh Keith please…”

Who?

“Keith please… don’t forget…”

Who was that?

“You should never forget Keith… you have to remember. I beg you Keith… please remember…”

Remember what?

“Remember me.”


	2. The encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again!
> 
> After the prologue comes chapter one, which was illustrated by the wonderful @bilawelle_panda and @shuideleau who you can find under those names on instagram ♥  
> Next chapter of Bewitched will not be shared before next month (probably more regarding how long chapter 2 is) but if you want to see the story going on little by little, consider joining me on instagram (@thankyou_klance) where I share small parts of the chapter every 3 days ♥
> 
> Enjoy your reading ♥

“Wake up little prince!” Keith immediately put his hands on his gaze as the sun rays entered the room.

“Damn it Adam! Close the curtains!” he shouted while hiding his face under the huge and soft blanket of his majestic bed. He hated that, to be woken up that early in the morning.

“Out of the question,” the knight answered, admiring the view through this impressive window. “The sun is already high in the sky and the King will soon open the gates for the people’s request. You should already have taken your bath, Your Royal Highness.”

Keith frowned at the title Adam just gave him. It was not a name he enjoyed to be called with. Especially from someone like Adam who had been such a close relative for as long as he could remember.

“What do you mean the sun is already high? It can’t be that late...” a long yawn escaped from Keith’s mouth as he was stretching his arms. This night had been restless. He had this dream again… a dream that had lasted for years and would turn in his mind like an eternal rewind.

Usually he would just be a little concerned before forgetting. But tonight, the feelings had been stronger… almost leaving a sharp pain in his heart.

“It is late. You’re expected for your training. The other kids are already working so you better be quick.”

“I’m not a kid. I’m almost 21.”

“Yeah, you’re not a kid,” Adam smirked, glancing at Keith. “You’re a baby little prince. Now get out of that bed and join the training, I’m not paid to watch you sleep.”

Keith grumbled a bit hearing all those sayings but did not answer. He respected Adam too much for that.

From his kindness to his strength, passing by his knowledge and loyalty, everything about him was impressive. Adam was a true model of virtue, as the result of which the King made him the Chief of the Army allowing him to become the most legendary knight of the Kingdom.

He was a hero and everyone knew it.

Keith admired that about Adam.

After all they both were called heroes by the people, though only Adam deserved this title.

\------------

Keith sighed as he entered the bath, feeling against his skin the hot water prepared by the maids. He had told them a hundred times to stop doing it, that he could take care of such trivial things by himself, but their only answer was always that a prince should not lose time on this. He despised this life. To be treated like a spoiled little prince in the middle of a luxurious castle never suited him.

It was not what he wanted. He wanted something more, some adventures or just a humble life… not an existence being served by others.

If it was not for Shiro he would have left a long time ago. Except for his brother, there was nothing he felt attached to in the Kingdom, or at least only his brother could make him sacrifice his own freedom.

Keith always abhorred his father, the current king, Akira. He was adored by the people for the incredible economic system he had settled and for reinforcing the army, creating a safe Kingdom where almost everyone was living a peaceful life. But it was only to hide his cruelty. There was no mercy for his enemy, no belief in other countries and new culture, no hope for a world with free thoughts, and there was no love when he was looking at his sons.

Though Shiro was good and mighty. He was hopeful and close to the people. He believed in humanity and in equality between all of them. He believed in a better world. So Keith believed in him too. He supported him and was waiting for the day Shiro would finally become the new King.

So only for him, only for his brother he would stay and create a better Kingdom by his side. Though, there, laying down in this hot bathtub from which a thin steam was escaping, all Keith could think about was how boring his life would be.

And nothing could annoy him that much.

\------------

It was part of Keith’s duty as a prince to be one of the elite soldiers of the Kingdom. Shiro was supposed to be the number one, though everyone knew Adam was much more powerful. But for Shiro, this rule had changed, especially now that he only had one arm left.

In any case, Keith had this obligation to join the young generation of the royal guard for their morning practice on at least four days per week. He liked to be surrounded by other people than the courtiers who were licking his father and Shiro’s boots. Here he could train, live something more exciting than just lying in a huge bed and eating some fancy food.

The young royal guard preparing for the army was incredible. Their will to protect the Kingdom, their desire to sacrifice themselves for others’ safety… they thought they were practicing to become the heroes of Marmora, but for Keith, they already were heroes.

“Looks like the privileged little prince finally woke up,” Keith turned his gaze, already bothered by this voice that he knew way too much.

“I don’t have time for this Lance,” he simply answered, ignoring the boy flagrantly as he walked to Adam who was taking care of another fighter.

“Well, I can guess since you were too busy chilling in your sweet luxurious life. Must be nice, to be a little prince,” Keith stopped. There was nothing he disliked more than to be seen as nothing else but a wealthy boy living on the people’s back. And this was something Lance kept reminding him, again and again and again.

“From the sound of your voice I hear nothing but jealousy. What is it McClain? Is it how you live? Envious of what you can’t have?”

This time, Lance was the one stepping toward Keith, getting close enough to almost knock their foreheads together. They were locking eyes with such a rage that no one around them dared to say a word, bringing a heavy silence all over the place as the tension was rising up.

“If jealousy was the reason why I hate you so much, my life would be way easier.”

Blue eyes ringed, twitching a bit because of the frustration. Keith had always found those eyes magical and amazing. He loved to detail them even though their owner was the most irritable human being. And if it had not been for Adam’s strong hands grabbing the boys’ shoulders to make them take some distance again, Keith would probably have grasped this stupid yet handsome face and smash it on the ground.

But against Adam’s will, there was not much they could do. The knight looked upset. He never liked when his soldiers were fighting with words instead of swords, especially when one was the Prince of the kingdom and the other one was a future element of the army.

“If you have time to fight, it better be on a duel.”

This simple sentence was enough to create an uncomfortable atmosphere.

Everyone knew what it meant to propose a duel to the Prince himself. In other words, Lance was done. Whispers could be heard all around the two boys as people’s eyes were analyzing them just like beasts in cages.

Keith knew how things were. He knew that injuring a member of the royal family was completely forbidden. And he knew that the wisest solution for Lance was to just let Keith win, yet this would only hurt his self-esteem, and rejecting the duel would be even worse.

“No. We’re all good,” Keith answered, tending his hand to make peace with the boy, “right, Lance?”

Again, a silence, though this time everyone was holding their breath. If Keith had decided to refuse the duel by himself then Lance would not be seen as a coward. But his pride was too important for him to just close eyes on the situation.

That’s why when the back of Lance’s hand hit Keith’s palm, rejecting the gesture that had just been done as his blue eyes were defying the Prince, Adam could only sigh. It was a secret for no one in the Kingdom that those two did not get along anymore. Still, how many times had Adam wish for their wisdom to take over their little quarrel?

“Well then… I guess that it’s decided,” Adam passed a hand in his hair, unveiling a little bit the scars that were crossing his face. “But there is no way you two will fight with your real swords. I don’t want to lose two soldiers for such a baby fight, especially when one is a responsible prince,” he said scowling at Keith.

“Wait, you mean a duel with wood swords?” Lance asked, lightly chuckling.

“Exactly. For very mature boys, very mature weapons. So you two give me your swords.”

“But-”

“Lance,” Adam interrupted. “Your sword young man.”

Lance grumbled as he was now handing his blade to Adam.

Every soldier had a personal one, one that had been designed especially for them, according to their skills and tastes. The officials one for the war were very casuals and more adapted to any kind of fight. But the King agreed to let each fighter decide on the object that would allow them to protect the whole people. And regarding the amazing way Lance was moving and swinging with the lightness of his long body, it was a surprise for no one that his choice had been a rapier.

“Keith,” Keith was looking away from Adam holding his belt firmly. “Keith give it to me.”

“That’s unfair! I proposed to not do the duel! If he wants one, then I want to use mine.”

“And kill each other? Nice idea. You know the rules better than anyone else, your sword Your Royal Highness.”

Keith groaned and finally seized the extremity of his belt which looked like a hilt. Then by just one movement, he pulled away the accessory that was wrapping his waist and whipped it in the void to give the belt the form of a sword. He was a complete show-off and Lance could not stand that. Obviously this little spoiled Prince always had what he wanted, impressive blades, impressive clothes, impressive skills, knowledge, techniques… A little prince living his perfect privileged life.

“Fine,” Adam said, giving wood swords to the two boys before taking some steps away from them. He invited the other soldiers to surround Keith and Lance so they would not be an obstacle for the fight.

“You know the rules. Two zones to your bodies. Head and torso are fatal, other members are simple injuries. As your referee, I’ll be the one to determine if the attack you gave officially defeat your opponent, but it’s appreciated from the fighters to announce when they received an attack. I’ll put an end to the battle if you break the rules, if there is any danger and if one of you asks for it. A fatal attack immediately determines the winner and the defeated. Same as the loss of your sword. Is everything clear or do you need more precisions?”

The two duelists shook their heads as an answer. They have been taught those formalities since the first day they were able to hold swords. Their concentration started to mark the traits of their faces and with that, the fight could start.

All those gazes were stuck on Lance and Keith as they were both standing in front of each other, assuming a high guard. The main tension was to see who would speak first and launch the beginning of the hostility.

“Not so sure anymore, McClain?” Keith said, a grin on his teasing expression which triggered a shiver in Lance’s body.

“Stop acting so proud, little prince.”

The way Lance’s lips articulated those words, giving to his tone an unbearable sound immediately got on Keith’s nerves. He did not wait any longer to start the first offensive, his wood sword finally hitting on Lance’s blade. Their faces were so close that the annoying yet hypnotizing blue eyes of Lance were starting to drive Keith crazy.

Damn blue eyes.

“Oh that’s all you got little prince?” Lance smirked seeing the frowning and mad expression he was giving him.

Keith groaned, stepping back to get in position again.

How much he would give to make that boring voice shut up forever. He only needed to focus. He had to stay serious and to not let his emotions get over his actions, he was the prince. He had to be responsible, no matter what.

“I was waiting for more from the hero of the kingdom. I guess being a loyal little prince was enough to make people idolize you. Must have been nice, to be seen as the savior of the nobodies.”

Those words made Keith’s anger explode, there was no such thing as acting majestically and responsible, all he wanted was to take Lance down a peg or two. He rushed toward his opponent, thrusting, once and twice, not even caring about the rules anymore which made him receive a warning from Adam.

But he did not mind it.

The sword was dancing in front of Lance’s desperate look. He was almost unable to follow the moves of the Prince. After all, Keith had special lessons, way harder and harsher than any of those weak soldiers around him.

What did he know about him anyway? What did they all know about him?

Keith’s hands gripped hard the wood sword as Lance counterattacked the offensive once again, stopping the royal boy’s move. Keith got mad by this satisfied expression on his look.

He hated Lance. He hated him to the point it was making him sick.

There were no rules anymore.

In a sudden impulse, Keith raised his sword a bit higher as Lance’s blade was still blocking his attack. And when he felt Lance quiver slightly due to the fatigue, he hit one last time touching the sword pommel. This only move had made the opponent lose his weapon, which would have normally put an end to the battle.

And yet it was not enough for Keith.

As Lance’s gaze was stuck on the sword laid a bit further, Keith kicked in the boy’s stomach, making him fall immediately.

“Keith Kogane the fight is over!” Adam immediately screamed as all the other apprentice soldiers were observing this scene, stunned.

Yet Keith was not able to hear it. Or at least he did not want to.

Lance was still dazed by his drop; Keith could see it by the way his eyes were struggling to look at a clear point. This cocky little soldier, this unbearable weak fighter was finally getting reminded of his place and weakness.

Keith slowly passed his legs around Lance’s body, putting the same foot that had beat him a second ago on his chest, pushing on it to prevent the boy from straightening up. He could hear him grunt in frustration as Keith’s sword was now pointing at his neck.

Lance’s blue eyes were staring at Keith’s dismissive expression looking down on him. And even in this powerless position, Lance never diverted his gaze.

“You know nothing about me. Absolutely nothing. You’re not even able to fight, you did nothing but watch people die while I was able to save them. You’re worthless.”

Each sentence Keith pronounced was full of resentment. How many times had Lance been so harsh on him for absolutely no reason? He was full of rancor. He detested Lance.

“I said: the fight is over,” Adam grabbed Keith’s wrist, making the sword leave Lance’s throat.

His brown eyes were making it clear to Keith that it was time to stop everything. And again, Keith respected Adam way too much to not follow his orders.

All those eyes observing them and whispering about what had just happened were annoying. It was always so easy for people to talk without even understanding, without even realizing. It was not only his face that was marked by the scar of his past, but his whole damn mind.

“I’m done for today,” he murmured, throwing the wood sword on the ground right next to Lance.

What a great way to start the day.

\------------

It was weird, how even bad days felt so warm and enjoyable.

The Kingdom of Marmora was one of the most beautiful in the area. Built over a sort of hill, thousands houses and accommodations were surrounding the heart of the country which was the higher point of the domain and also, the place where was settled the Marmora’s castle.

In the morning, the splendid rays of sun were piercing the east of the fortress’ walls, enlightening by their greatness the luxury of the stronghold. At noon, the sun was rising high above the citadel, expressing its glory and marvelousness. Then eventually, when the night would come to fade all this brightness in the obscurity, the last ray of lights would give a final salute to the kingdom through a wonderful sunset.

That was how stately Marmora was.

Keith knew this place like the back of his hand. All those boring years spent by running through those infinite corridors, exploring every single room hidden in the castle. All that because he was a prince and he was made to live a lifeless existence.

Slumped on the apron wall of one of the thousand windows in the corridor, Keith’s gaze was losing itself in the landscape. Around this prison was a huge and incredible forest that only the bravest dared to explore. Those woods were crossed by paths, allowing people to travel through it. Yet, out of those roads was the territory of the witches, or at least, their hunting ground.

Keith sighed, the memory of his dream slowly coming back to his mind. He had this dream so many times, he was starting to think that a sort of madness was taking control over his lucidity.

Witches… those cruel creatures were part of the Kingdom’s everyday life.

Actually, they were even part of the Kingdom’s history.

In each children’s brain were taught the dreadful acts of those monsters.

In days gone by, the Kingdom was known under the name of Daibazaal, and it was a country led by witches. The lineage of the royal blood was entirely composed by those magical living beings. Years of peace were consumed without any major war or trouble. Until the day the throne was succeeded to Zarkon and Honerva, who respectively took the title of The Wizard and Haggar. No one knew what caused the chaos that followed this event, but Zarkon’s desire of power started to increase, days after days. He destroyed hundreds of Kingdoms to develop his own, bringing nothing but fear in every place he would go.

And one day, he decided to attack his own people. He decided that all simple humans without any magic did not deserve to live and started to exterminate each of them.

Yet, this decision became his biggest mistake, because this reign of terror triggered in every human’s spirit a will to rebel. At the head of those rebellions was Keith’s ancestor. He was the one who led humanity’s victory and saved the whole Kingdom, bringing back peace in the country and becoming the New King of what was renamed Marmora Kingdom.

The real reason for the fall of Daibazaal was the witches’ weakness. A weakness that humans knew way too well.

It was their need of vital energy.

Magic could not be used without enough vital energy, and only two solutions existed to gain some of it. It was either to expose their whole body to the light of the moon, or to feed themselves with others’ vital energy. And humans were the perfect prey.

The Wizard and Haggar wanted to be immortal, and for this reason they had sucked all this power up, allowing them to live for way longer than any normal creature should be able to. But during the rebellion, humans gathered to protect themselves from the witches. With that, witches were unable to feed themselves, slowly dying to the point that some even decided to take the vital energy of their own species.

Thanks to this opposition, their defeat was sure and the Wizard and Haggar ran away, pretending to be dead for two whole centuries.

This thought drew Keith away from his mind. His dark eyes were fixing his shaking hands as he then brought his fingers on his face, slowly stroking the scar that was crossing his right cheek.

Because this wound was wearing his biggest nightmare. A memory from five years ago that kept haunting his dreams. The reminiscence of his sword thrusting Zarkon’s heart and putting an end to his existence.

As he was remembering every image from the past, the cries, the blood, the loss of hope and the fire, Keith felt a strong hand leaning on his shoulder.

He did not even have to look at the person to know who they were.

“Let me guess. Adam told you about today’s incident?”

A light laugh escaped from Shiro’s mouth. He made a sign to Keith, asking to make him some room on the apron wall.

Even from the way he was moving, Keith could see how mighty and impressive his brother was. His long black hair pulled back in a ponytail were letting a white strand fall before his dark gaze. And on the top of his head was put the crown of the heir Prince, the one whose fate was to become the next King.

“Well… you know how to make people talk about you,” Shiro said, handing to his brother his belt sword. “Apparently you were so mad that you even forgot your baby.”

Keith immediately stretched his arm to grab the item yet, as soon as his hand was about to touch it, Shiro took it away from him.

“Mind explaining to me your behavior first?” he asked with a serious tone.

Keith groaned but did not let go that easily, jumping on his brother to get his weapon back, making them fall on of the beige tiles of the corridor. It was a game for them, something they had been used to doing since their youngest age. How many times were they scolded for bad conduct and irresponsible attitude as Princes? But they did not care, they liked those fights and this freedom. They loved those easy moments together.

“Got you!” Shiro exclaimed as he was sat over his brother’s back, using the pressure of his weight to maintain the boy’s body stuck on the floor while his only arm was holding the sword far from his owner. “I might miss one arm, but unlike you I don’t ditch half of Adam’s training.”

Keith was trying his best to toss and turn but it was useless, he had lost this fight.

“Don’t lie. I know that Adam gives you special training. I saw you last time.”

“You saw us?”

“Yeah. I mean, I was walking near the court and I saw you two have a sword battle. And I know it was not on your usual schedule so I assumed…”

“Oh yeah. The training,” Shiro whispered. “Still. I’m stronger and you can’t deny it. Now, you tell me what happened and I’ll give you your sword back.”

“Fine!” Keith groused, giving up already. “Just get your fat and disgusting ass away from me.”

“Ask nicely,” Shiro added as his smirk was lightly wrinkling the scar crossing his face.

“What?”

“I said: ask nicely.”

And the proud expression on his stupid look was so annoying that Keith tried again to get rid of him by himself. Though, noticing that it was vain, he shrieked, stifling the noise in his sleeve before finally exhaling.

“Fine, your Highness. May your Majesty accept to remove their mythical behind from my mortal body?”

“Pleaaaaaa…?”

“Please!”

“Of course little brother, should have asked earlier!”

Shiro burst into laughter in front of Keith’s annoyed expression, finally offering him his sword that the Prince did not wait to take and tie around his hips.

“So…” Shiro’s voice echoed in the empty aisle as they both sat on the apron wall again, turning their back to the window that was giving them an incredible view on the whole Kingdom. “What’s the big deal? It's not like you to lose your temper. Especially against Lance, you two are friends after a-”

“Well then big news we’re not!” Keith interrupted him, frowning as he was avoiding his brother’s gaze. “You keep saying that every time Adam reports a fight between us. We’re not friends. And we never were.”

Shiro sighed, diverting his eyes away from Keith to look at the golden molding on the ceiling.

“You were friends. I remember how you two used to play everywhere in the castle. Father was always so angry at you,” he chuckled, passing a hand on his white strand to put it behind his ear. “It’s not easy for Lance. You know it’s not.”

“And it is for me?” Keith was mad, Shiro could hear it by the way his voice sounded. “It’s not my fault if I lost almost all memories before my tenth anniversary. I want to remember it too, but I don’t. I don’t even remember mom’s face; how could I remember him…”

Shiro glanced at Keith. His brother had lived way too many things for a twenty-year-old boy. It was a strange day; the day when Keith came back after disappearing for five days without anyone knowing the reason for this sudden missing.

No wound, no mark, no sign of any harm made on him. He was as clean and healthy as if he had left for one hour. Except that he had lost half of his memory and could not remember his own name. He remembered Shiro and Adam, he remembered the Kingdom and some very blurry images from the past. But nothing more. Not his dead mother. Not his cruel father. Not his so-told dear friend Lance.

“He really cared for you, Keith. The way Lance was respecting you… I’ve never seen anyone cherish someone else as much as Lance did with you,” the boy seemed to calm down as he was listening to Shiro’s words. “He’s upset because you don’t remember him. That’s all. Give him the time he needs.”

He added, bringing his hand on Keith’s shoulder. But the boy slapped it, frowning again before raising up from the place where he was sitting.

“I think I gave him way enough time. If he really cared for me, he would have tried to rebuild this bond we used to have instead of treating me like a nobody,” Keith said, leaving the apron wall to walk away from his brother.

“Keith… Where are you going?”

“At a place where people will finally leave me the fuck alone.”

“You better stay in the Kingdom!”

Keith did not even stop. He knew he was not allowed to go in the forest, though it was the only place where he felt free and Shiro was perfectly aware of this.

“With all due respect, fuck you, your Majesty.”

\------------

There were not many views that Keith found as beautiful as the one that the higher point of the castle was giving him.

Actually there was none, except for a single and wonderful one.

In the middle of this forbidden forest, between those giant mountains protecting the Kingdom from the enemies, was a fairytale-like location.

Coming here with a horse was easier, and it was how Keith usually was going there. But this time, it was late. Taking a horse would only bring attention on him and surely his father would have asked for someone to accompany Keith.

And it was everything Keith did not want right now.

The long walk to the spot was not an easy one. All around the boy were impressive trees whose leaves originally green were taking a silver taint under the huge moon’s light.

The shadows of the night were far from scary in the heart of such a splendid wood where every sound seemed so pure. The sweet cries of the wolves interrupted by the song of the owl covering the whistle of the wind… all those notes were coming to Keith’s ears reminding him how calm and harmonious the nature could be by night. It reminded him how freedom truly felt.

The silver grass looked like a ground covered by thousand jewelries and by following this treasure, Keith eventually reached an imposing boulder in front of which he immediately stopped.

A smile appeared on his face and without even thinking twice, he started to climb the rock.

It was not the first time the Prince was coming here. He had been there a hundred times already, but never by night. And the only idea of crossing this new line was giving him a rush of adrenaline. He wanted to see it, this landscape engulfed by the obscurity yet saved by the white light of the stars.

And how well was he served, since as soon as he reached the upper point of the boulder his heart missed a beat by the sight this wonderful environment was giving him.

The moon was full, sharing its luminosity with the rest of the world. Thousands stars were shining high in the sky, reflecting their little sparkles in the river down the hill. From there, Keith could see the forest extend for kilometers, it appeared so small near the grandeur of the mountains. And behind those mountains was another world, another place, another universe, so different from the Kingdom of Marmora, so immense. A place where he would not feel like suffocating every day of his life.

After some minutes standing there, admiring the view without any other thoughts than the dream of another life, Keith let himself fall on the ground, gazing at the sky, his mind nourishing itself by all those beautiful sparkles above him.

But it only took a short time for him to remember what happened with Lance.

He just could not get him.

All this hostility, it was not as if Keith had done anything to him, it was not as if Keith had not tried many times to get close to him again. If they used to be friends in the past, then surely Lance had something good buried deep inside him.

But in the end, it always remained the same.

They were unable to get along.

It was exhausting. Keith was tired of those dreams that sounded like calls, he was tired of those nightmares that kept reminding him what he wished he could forget.

He was tired of wearing this hero title.

And he was tired of bearing the scar of his Kingdom.

A shiver ran through his body.

Keith was only fifteen when Zarkon and Honerva appeared again, after years of disappearance. Since he was born, or at least, as far as he could remember and as much as he could recollect from his souvenirs, Keith had always been told how dreadful and cruel witches were. The thousand crimes they had committed in the past were still to be paid. It was the reason why, today, they were executed. It was a tradition to kill them by burning them alive, some books were telling that it was the only way to finish their worthless life.

But it was a mistake. Keith knew it because he had himself killed Zarkon by planting a sword right into his heart.

It had been enough.

Witches were born with a specific appearance, close to humans yet… different. Their eyes were shining with a purple light and their body was marked by a seal. At each birth, the King should ask to examine the baby to be sure there is no mark. But if there is, they don’t have to kill the poor child right away.

During ten years, the magic energy running through the kid’s blood stays but slowly vanishes. Passing the tenth anniversary of the child every trace of magic definitely fades and with that the seal also leaves. If a witch child doesn’t use their magic during their ten first year, they become normal human and won’t be seen as a danger. But if they decide to trigger their power before, then they will forever be a witch. At the tenth birthday, the child is examined again and if the mark has left then everything is forgotten. If not, then no one will ever hear about them again.

That is the reason why most of the witches made the choice of abandoning their power. And the few who did not, simply joined The Wizard and Haggar’s troupes to bring back the supremacy of magic beings. They are called Dark Witches.

This is how, five years ago, the Kingdom of Marmora was attacked by the Dark Witches. Their strength was so powerful that they were able to bewitch every inhabitant of the kingdom. Everyone except Keith. He was only fifteen when he understood he had to act. He was only fifteen when he realized he was their last hope. He was only fifteen when he took the life of one of the cruelest monsters of History.

All it cost him was a scar on his face. He was not even able to fight more after this move. He had freed the people from the enchant allowing them to defeat the enemies and to save the country.

In this war, Shiro lost an arm and his body was covered by wounds. He almost died and the trauma of the events tainted his hair with a bright white color. Adam also lost a lot. He was a hero, the Hero of the kingdom, the Chief of the Army, the one in whom everyone had left their hope. Yet half his face and body were burnt by this battle, and one of his eyes was not even able to see anymore. Adam was forced to retire from the army, considered as inefficient during war time. In everyone’s mind Adam stays the greatest soldier of the kingdom, but never will he ever be able to fight for the people anymore.

Keith sighed. Anyway, all this story was part of the past. Even if everyone kept reminding him this time, even if everyone thought that killing Zarkon had made Keith a new hero, he could only see himself as nothing more than a murderer.

\------------

In the middle of the silent night, Keith realized that he had spent way too much time here.

It was surely late and if his absence was to get noticed this would only bring him troubles.

Slowly, he raised up, stretching his muscles to motivate himself with the long walk that he still had to go through.

Time had come for him to go back to his little boring life.

With no difficulty, Keith descended from the boulder before starting his hike through the silver forest.

The place was still so peaceful, so harmonious, so beautiful, but something was strange.

As if his body was begging him to follow another path. As if he was called by another point.

He stopped for a second, not sure about what he should do. His reason was telling him to run away but his heart and soul were attracted by something way stronger… way more powerful.

Carefully advancing in those woods, Keith noticed how the atmosphere had suddenly changed. He could not explain it, he could not describe it, it was a feeling… no, a sensation, a whisper echoing in his mind that he could not understand, no matter how hard he was trying.

All he knew was that his steps were leading him deep in the forest, in a place he had never visited yet.

Then, he arrived right in front of a weeping willow, a huge and splendid tree whose age was surely older than any ancient artifact that this world had.

Its falling branches were covering the other side just like a curtain, but Keith could feel it. He could feel how close he was to the thing that was calling him.

His hands gently pierced the leaves and opened the view on a huge and shiny lake reflecting the moon’s light.

The place was breathtaking, and the Prince would have given it way more attention if it was not for the silhouette that was standing in front of it.

Keith’s heart almost stopped. It made no doubt. By the way they were dressed, and the bright light emanating from the numerous marks on their body. By this enchanting aura that they were spreading… it made no doubt that it was a witch.

Keith calmly passed a hand on his belt sword, ready to unsheathe it in case of danger. All he had to do was to prevent them from attacking and then bring them to the King. Nothing more, nothing less.

Each step was a bigger risk than the former one, and Keith could feel the tension rise up the closer he was getting to the witch.

He had to defeat them. He had to protect his kingdom from the Dark Witches. He had to kill them.

In a sudden but clumsy move, he pulled out his weapon making way more noise than he would have wanted to.

But of course there was nothing he could do alone against a witch, since as soon as he tried to act, the witch turned back using a huge amount of the water from the lake to fight back.

The surprise made the Prince fall, intimidated by the immense sculpture of water that was being held right before him. He was about to die. There was no question about it. His time had come, and ironically a witch would be the cause of his loss.

Yet, the more the seconds were spent, the more Keith found it weird that the witch had not put an end to his life already.

Some drops were falling from the huge creature of water that had just been formed. Though, it was not moving, not even a bit.

And as Keith finally decided to let his gaze slide toward the magic being that was about to be the reason for his death, his heart skipped a beat.

Right in front of him, arms stretched as he was keeping the fluid in a fixed shape, was standing the most beautiful living being that Keith had ever seen.

His half naked body covered by transparent clothes made it clear that this person was a boy. He had a tan skin covered by many marks shining in the dark and making him even more fascinating.

His face was covered by a veil linked to the long hood that was hiding his white hair, only allowing his eyes to be caught by mortal gaze.

Those purple eyes, as shook as Keith’s confused look, so similar to all the cruel witches that Keith had seen in the past but expressing something so kind and innocent, had captured the Prince’s heart in less than a second.

And if Keith had always been so sure about witches’ nature, for the first time in his whole life he would have sworn that in those eyes was reflecting the purest soul he had ever met.


	3. Hateful Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Hello! Good morning/afternoon/evening/night I actually don't know!
> 
> After some months of not posting anything on AO3 here I am with chapter 2 of Bewitched! (Yes, it is announced as chapter 3 but it's because there is a prologue... so chapter 1 is chapter 2 and chapter 2 is chapter 3). The wonderful illustrations are created by @bilawelle_panda and @shuideleau, you can find them under those names on instagram
> 
> I also want to tell the incredible @Stardust_and_Blades (on AO3 and Instagram) is now beta reading the story! She is an amazing writer and you all should give a chance to her writing pieces 'cause she's incredibly skilled!
> 
> Next chapter of Bewitched will not be shared before end of December, but if you want to see the story going on little by little, consider joining me on instagram (@thankyou_klance) where I share small parts of the chapter every 2 days.
> 
> I think I said everything I had to say for now, if you liked the chapter feel free to leave a comment or a kudo or whatever you want!
> 
> Enjoy your reading ♥

“I hate him!” Lance shouted, slamming the door as his mother was watching him from the fireplace.

Walking with a heavy tread, his steps lead him to a double-bed that was settled in one of the corners of the small house. And once he reached the spot, he let himself fall on the old and tough mattress before screaming in one of the pillows to muffle his frustration.

“Lance, sweetheart, you can’t sleep if you did not clean yourself first.” Rosa said, putting a used cooking pot on top of the fire. As her hand was spinning a large spoon in the content to mix the soup she was cooking, her eyes finally focused on her silent son who was still slumped on her bed.

“How were your friends today? Pidge and Hunk, right?” she asked, trying her best to obtain some information. But once again, the boy did not say a word, keeping his face sunk into the pillow.

Rosa sighed, casted a glance at the pot to be sure nothing would burn and decided to join the boy.

Since they did not have a lot of money, their home was not really big. It was very humble, with only one room on the ground floor and a mezzanine that was Lance’s personal space. As for the kitchen, the bathroom, and Rosa’s bed, they were all located in the same place. White sheets hung here and there to divide the different areas.

People would say they were poor, yet it was not exactly the truth. They were living a simple life, but they could eat their fill and buy all the medicines they wanted.

“So what is it sweetheart?” her soft tone was echoing in Lance’s ears like a sweet and reassuring melody. Though, he did not want to answer.

“Let me guess then… maybe is it related to someone whose name is Kei-”

“Don’t say his stupid and awful name!” he exclaimed, suddenly rising up to stare right inside his mother’s gaze.

From the torn look he was giving her, Rosa could already tell that she had hit right in the bull’s eye. She was used to it after all. No one but the Prince of the kingdom could make her son cry and scream like he was doing right now.

“Lance, sweetheart…”

“I know,” Lance’s voice was cold and distant. He knew what his mother was thinking and he knew the reason behind his anger. But it was not hurting him any less. “I just had a bad day… and I’m tired.”

“It’s because you did not go hunting for too long… your body needs more strength, honey. Sleeping is not enough.”

“I don’t like it,” his fists were tightening around the blanket. “Hunting…”

“I know. But you have to...”

His blue eyes were stuck on the floor, unable to face his own mother. He was ashamed of himself. Ashamed to be so dependent, ashamed to be a burden for his mom, ashamed to be the monster he was born as. He was ashamed to be a witch.

Rays of sun pierced the windows of their house as the little particles of dust were flying about in the room. Night would fall, allowing him to join the forest and start his hunt. Rosa was more than aware that her son did not like this method. Regaining energy through the light of the moon was different from stealing it from an innocent human. But Lance needed it. Or else he would die.

“Do you want to tell me about what happened?” she asked, stroking his hair while trying to change the topic.

“No,” he got up, walking away from his mother. “I just really want to take a bath and… wait for this day to be over.”

Rosa watched Lance walk away from her, slowly closing the white sheet hiding the place they were using as a bathroom. She felt helpless, because the more she wanted to support him, the more he was pushing her away. But she could see it, how Lance was only preparing her for the day he would leave the kingdom and leave her too.

\------------

Lance’s house had never been in a good state. As far as he could remember, there always were holes in the walls or in the floor. On rainy days, some areas would even take in water. When a tempest would hit the country, both his mother and him would hold their breath, hoping for the damages to be as limited as possible, but it was nothing to complain about. They were not especially poor. Actually, the fact that Lance was allowed to be part of the young royal guard was already a source of income, and Rosa was a reputed dressmaker who the king himself used to request for her services.

From what Rosa had told Lance, the late Queen Krolia absolutely loved the dresses Rosa used to work on.

Sadly, when Lance’s father fell ill, Rosa had to slow down on her work at the castle since she had to take care of her son alone. He was only four at that time, and his life had already changed so much. It was strange how Lance’s memories were clear even during his deepest childhood. It was at said age he met Lotor and Allura for the first time. It was also at that age that he came to the castle with his mother since she could not leave him alone at home. And it was at this age that he crossed Keith’s path for the first time, sensing a bond so strong that even at an early period of his life he knew something stronger was linking him to Keith.

He knew that this prince, with dark eyes and clear skin would forever change the course of his life.

Lance sighed, turning his gaze toward the small window that was giving him a wonderful view of the full moon. It was already late and surely the whole kingdom was plunged into a deep slumber. Humanity had left the earth to the witches.

Lance stood up from the chair he was sitting on, turning on the little candle that was put on his bedside table to enlighten the mezzanine. He was lucky to have his own personal space even in such a small house. Rosa always did her best so that Lance would not feel invaded. The second floor could be reached by a wooden ladder settled for the exact purpose of Lance’s space. This area only had a mattress laid on the bare ground surrounded by many books. Lance had always loved reading. He could spend a full day with his nose stuck in books and he was very grateful to Allura and Lotor for furnishing him so many novels. Then between all those stories, was a coffer. Not a huge one, but it was a pretty item made of precious wood, with a golden framework designed with an incredible shape on which were engraved some very detailed flowers.

It was the only valuable object the McClains had.

Lance’s hands slowly caressed the wood, opening the chest with caution and dove his fingers inside it.

From there, he brought some odd clothes out, squeezing them tightly with his grip before eventually putting them on the back of his chair.

The cries of a wolf could be heard from the outside. Since their house was located near the frontier of the kingdom, right at the limit of the forest, all the sounds of this mysterious nature were piercing their walls as soon as night fell.

And the late melody was only a reminder for Lance of the world he would always belong to.

“Lance, honey, you should go,” Rosa’s voice echoed from below, bringing the boy back to reality.

“Yeah.”

As he took a deep breath, observing the shape of the moon shining through the pane of glass, an odd sensation ran through his whole body.

It was a power that he kept holding back all day long, boiling his insides and slowly consuming his soul. It was the power of the witches, a strong magic traveling along his veins and invading his mind.

Lance took his blue shirt away, unveiling his naked chest on which some blue marks were shining with a weak light on his body. Their subdued glow was due to Lance’s lack of energy. Today again he had spent too much of it only to keep his human form and to hide the seal that was carved into his skin, on his lower belly.

All witches had a seal with which they were born. But with a bit of magic, witches were able to hide them to let people believe they had given up on their power after they’re ten years old.

There were a variety of shapes for those seals. For Lance, it was a flower, close to a pansy gleaming with the same glimmer than the other casual marks that were now coloring his flesh.  
Lance eventually grabbed the clothes he had put on his chair earlier. They were mostly made of a thin fabric tissue and indigo veils verging on purple. Witches needed to expose their body to the light of the moon to regain energy, but Lance also needed to hide himself in case he would be caught while hunting in the forest. That was why Rosa decided to sew him an outfit, able to keep the identity of her son secret if any problem was to come, all without blocking the glare of the moon. For it to reach his marks and feed him.

She had always been an amazing support for Lance. She was his savior, and for this reason he felt more and more the urge to not be a burden for her anymore.

As Lance fixed the cloth around his hips, covering his seal with a golden jewel that was maintaining the veil around his waist like a belt, he exhaled. Eyes closed, he focused on the little voice asking to free his power. Lance’s brown hair started to be tainted by a pure, clear, white, giving him the typical appearance of a witch. To be able to live with this form was way less tiring than when he restrained his magic, being the only moments he did not feel like he was killing himself by spending too much energy.

And when he finally fell in perfect symbiosis with himself, Lance opened his eyes, the blues replaced by an incredible purple.

It was time for him to go and face the darkness of the world. It was his curse.

He went down the ladder, passing in front of the worried gaze of Rosa who could not help but imagine the worse every time her son was leaving the house to obtain more strength. She wanted to stop him, but it was not fair. He had to go. She could see it by his eye bags and his shivering limbs. He needed to regain some energy, and for that she had to let him risk his life. It had been like this for ten years now, and she was still not used to it.

“Put your veil on your face already…” she murmured, walking toward Lance with an expression full of love. No matter how things were, she had never feared her son. She had never doubted his honesty, she knew how kind and genuine he was. She knew witches were not monsters and she would sacrifice everything just to protect Lance. He was all she still had.

“I can do it myself,” Lance answered, realizing Rosa was tying the veil that was hiding his face to the hood covering his hair and body.

“Can’t I still take care of my son? What kind of rebellion is that? Is it what they call puberty?”

“Hey! I passed puberty years ago!”

“Sure thing sweetheart.”

“That’s the truth!” he exclaimed, opening his arms to show himself to his mom, putting in front of her proud gaze the silhouette of the incredible man he had become. “Can’t you see my glow up?”

“There is no such thing as a glow up. You always were a beautiful boy,” she pinched his nose and gave him a warm smile. “Now hurry up if you don’t want awful wrinkles to mark your face at only twenty-one years old.”

“Not my beautiful skin!”

“Then go already!”

Rosa burst into laughter looking at Lance walking to the main door with a dramatic gait. It was his own way to reassure her, laughing and smiling to hide his sorrow.

But she would not say a thing, because by talking, he would only think he was a burden for her. And it was everything she never wanted.

When Lance closed the door of his house, a fresh wind came and brushed his flesh. It was not cold, just a bit chilly. Though, all he could think about at this moment was the warm feeling that the sensation of the moonlight was spreading in his body.

He loved it. He could already feel the energy fill his blood and nourish his weary veins.

Yet, there was no time to lose. He had to go deeper in the forest, to a place where no one but his prey would find him.

Crossing the forest was safer than what people said. Once he got used to it, Lance was able to recognize the areas quite easily. Allura had taught him how to get his bearings if he was lost, and Lotor had shown him a spot where the moon was spreading its whole light so that Lance could absorb its energy as much as he needed to.

He knew how to live in the environment and he knew how to attract his prey.

For witches, two solutions were possible to regain the energy that was allowing them to stay alive. The easiest and safest was to simply accept the moon’s gift. But the most efficient, the solution that would give him enough energy to regain all his strength in one simple night, was to steal the vital energy from a human.

Many witches advocated the latter over the first one, but Lance did not like it. It was not right.

Stealing energy was not especially dangerous. If the witch was controlling themselves, they could just take a little amount of the human’s essence, which would definitely not kill them. But by sucking their vital energy, the human was losing a part of their life expectancy.

That was why Lance never stole the vital energy from the same human twice. It was too dangerous for them. He would take enough to survive, but never enough to live at ease.

Hunting was not something he enjoyed to do, but he had to. Days were too long for him to only accept the moon’s strength. He needed more.

When he eventually reached the place where he would always stand, a sweet sensation traveled his body. In front of him, an immense lake was extending far into the barrier of mountains blocking his sight.

Clouds of trees surrounded the place, offering to the scenery a magical element to which Lance always felt like he was fitting. He took a puff of fresh air, the soft touch of his veil grazing his face. The moon was re-energizing his body, his limbs slowly relaxing and a long overdue ease filling his heart.

Lance hated his life.

This constant impression of being too much for such a large world, to not have a place where to stand and being rejected by everyone.

He wanted to be free, to believe in another culture and to be able to project himself in the future so he could start building his dreams. Because he had no dreams, no hopes, only a strong loneliness eating at his soul little by little.

In a kingdom where people believed witches were disgusting creatures, made to kill and create nothing but chaos around them, what kind of dream could he have?

They all were saying witches were monsters whose cruelty was so dreadful that they could steal life from everywhere and everyone.

They were wrong.

Some shiny particles were flying around Lance’s hands, brushing the soft grass on the ground and the sleeping flowers, waking up from this unique contact.

Witches were not monsters. They were humans, holding in their hands a wonderful gift able to show the beauty of the world, but some were using this power to express their hatred toward those without magic. This need to destroy and to fight, was it really part of the humanity’s nature? Why was it that differences were only bringing fear instead of reflection? If witches and non-magical beings could live hand in hand, would the world not be happier?

At this thought, a wave of heat loaded Lance’s heart. He raised his gaze toward the moon, a spirit in its celestial form sharing its brightness to its children. And every time Lance dug down he almost could hear the moon talk to him, reminding him it was worth living and one day, the world would give him what he deserved. His freedom and his dream.

Though, in the meantime he had to lie low and wait for the world to become a better place.

Still, Lance was tired of waiting. He was tired of staying silent.

Between him and those humans who were burning living beings alive, who were the real monsters?

As Lance started to engage his steps in the mirror of water laying before his eyes, embracing a cold touch surrounding the soles of his feet, he froze.

Someone was here. He could sense it. The gaze of an intruder.

He had not called anyone yet; no prey was supposed to be present.

His heartbeat became louder and faster, adrenaline and fear preventing him from even moving or crying. He had no idea about what he should do, he was too weak to enchant anyone or create an illusion. He had limited options with his energy not fully restored.

So he waited, silently praying for this person to be another witch or at least someone who would not want to harm him.

Yet, when the sound of a sword being unsheathed came to his ears, he understood if he did not react he would die in less of a second.

It was all or nothing. Through an immediate gesture, Lance used the little energy he had to control the lake’s water, shaping a huge creature that would mayhaps be able to frighten his assailant. It was all just a show; a weak attempt at matching the attack, despite Lance’s low chances. It was all he could do.

His palms lead the creature of water toward his attacker, allowing himself a quick glance to see who would be the reason for his death. As soon as his eyes recognized the silhouette of the boy ready to finish him off, he interrupted all his movements, holding the water over the body of the fallen Prince. The Prince was taken by surprise.

He could not believe it. What was Keith doing here in such a dangerous part of the forest in the middle of the night?

In ten years, never had such a thing occurred. And oddly, Lance thought he would have preferred to face someone dangerous instead of this unbearable prince.

After some awkward seconds, Keith slowly raised up his gaze, crossing eyes with Lance. A shiver ran through his body. The look Keith was giving him was so different from the ones he was usually expressing. It was something gentle and reassuring, a look completely fascinated.

Time froze, Lance was unable to put a name to the emotion invading his mind. The anger was his most noticeable one. He wanted to explode. He was tired of his life always being disrupted by this stupid little prince, yet there was something more. A touch of nostalgia, for in those sweet dark eyes were shining sparkles of the little boy whom Lance used to play with so much. He was delighted to find on Keith’s face the expression he had always cherished, the look of the one he could have died for.

“I… did not want to scare you,” Keith’s voice echoed in the huge area. Lance immediately focused again, noticing the boy getting back up, leaving his sword on the ground as a sign to the witch he was not a threat.

Lance opened his mouth, ready to answer by telling him that approaching him with a sword in his hands was definitely not a reassuring solution. But he did not. He was not sure if Keith had recognized him, and if he did not there was a chance his voice could give him away. It was why he stayed silent in front of this boy who was calmly walking closer to him.

“Can I?” Keith asked, checking if it was okay for him to get closer. Lance shook his head, frowning a bit when the Prince smiled. “Okay then… I won’t. I’m staying right here without a weapon. I won’t hurt you, I swear.”

Lance’s anger started to take over all his emotions as Keith’s voice softened. In ten years, not once had he heard the boy address him with such great kindness.

“You’re… a witch right?”

Lance did not answer, staring at him with annoyance since the answer seemed obvious. The serious look Keith was giving him, those bright eyes detailing Lance as if he was the seven wonder of this world, there was nothing that could bother Lance as much. He did not want to hear his gentle tone, he did not want to see his lovely gaze, and he did not want to remember this handsome face.

“I…” Keith hesitated, admiring the witch with an intense passion even Lance could see the effect he was having on him. “You are incredibly beautiful…”

Hearing that sentence, Lance lost it. Right before his eyes was the boy who was the reason for his hell, the one who had been the beginning of his end and all he could do was to tell him something so stupid even Lance felt embarrassed.

He did not bother to reply. The muscles of his hands started to relax as he decided to give up. When Keith noticed the witch had stopped holding an offensive position, a huge amount of water fell on him.

The moment he opened his eyes again, the witch had already left. And, besides ruining his outfit by soaking it with the lake water, the magical being had left nothing but a feeling of an ardent desire in Keith’s heart impossible to calm down without crossing the witch’s path once again.

But for Lance, things had been otherwise. He was running through the forest like a madman not taking the time to make sure he was not followed. He just wanted to be far from Keith and to put an end to the awful day.

Lance crossed the door to his place, closing it before letting himself fall down, his breath broken. He was exhausted and close to collapse, but more than anything, he was completely torn.

“Lance, sweetheart?” Rosa walked toward him, realizing her son was sitting against the front door of their house. His head plunged in his palms as the relentless tears cascaded down his cheeks. “What happened honey?”

“He saw me…”

“Someone saw you?” Rosa felt her heart split. It could not happen, no one should find out about Lance, absolutely no one. “Who saw you?”

“Keith…” his voice was stifled by his cries as the name passed the border of his lips.

“Did he recognize you?”

“He did not… I don’t think he recognized me.”

“Then it’s alright…” Rosa kneeled, passing a hand on her son’s face before holding him with a sweet expression. “Everything will be alright, honey. I will forever make sure that everything is always alright for you.”

\------------

It had never been a secret for Shiro that Keith loved to go to the forest. It was the only place where his brother could escape the court’s pedantry after all. If Shiro was not the crown prince, surely he would want to live the same way as Keith did. Still, the forest was a dangerous place, especially at night. Keith had already disappeared once and if it was to happen a second time, Shiro was not sure if he would be able to handle it.

His brother was everything to him. His only loving family, his only caring relative. He was the one who had inherited Krolia's greatest qualities.

It was why he could not let Keith put himself in thousand complicated situations.

Shiro sat on an armchair in the middle of Keith’s huge bedroom, hundreds of thoughts crossing his mind as he wondered how to finally reason with him.

Shiro hated having this role, but he would rather be the one to give Keith a lesson instead of waiting for their father to find out. They were princes, they had a role in the kingdom, and sadly they could not live the way they wanted. For their happiness was a sacrifice needing to be done. Shiro knew that way too much.

When the creak of a door being pushed came to his ears, Shiro immediately directed his gaze in the direction, giving the entering boy a cold, yet exhausted expression.

“You’re late.” Shiro said, straightening up on the armchair.

“We never agreed on any hour.” by the way he was talking and avoiding any eye contact, Shiro could tell how distant Keith was acting.

“Don’t use that tone with me, Keith,” his voice raised a bit, his eyes filling with anger. “Night had fallen hours ago. Do you know how worried I was? And you’re soaked, what the heck happened outside?!”

“You’re exaggerating. I fell in a river. It’s not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal?” Shiro exhaled, frowning as he pinched the bridge of his nose. After taking some seconds, he stood up, walking towards his brother who still stood near the closed door. “Should I remind you how dangerous that forest is? Do I really need to tell you, of all the people in this kingdom, how dangerous witches are? Do I also have to remind you that you once disappeared for five days Keith? Five days!”

Keith flinched. He was not used to hearing Shiro raise his voice.

“It’s not as if anything happened. Why are you making such a fuss?”

“Because I care about you.”

Keith looked down. He did not like to face Shiro in these kinds of circumstances. He did not like disappointing his brother.

Shiro noticed how uncomfortable Keith was. He avoided his eyes, squeezing his belt as he always did when something was disturbing him. Shiro knew he had to remind Keith the foolishness of his acts but he hated to be the one to create such an atmosphere.

He sighed, rubbing his hand on his face before putting his palm on his brother’s shoulder. The gesture made Keith find the will to confront his gaze.

“I know this is not the life you dreamed about, and I know that you would like for things to be otherwise, but it’s not. And it will never be different. We have a role Keith, and I…” Shiro stopped, trying to think more clearly about what he wanted to say. “And I need you to be safe if I want to focus on my work. That is all I’m asking of you.”

“But why? I mean… Why do we have to follow those roles like stupid pawns on a chessboard? Why do you even have to be perfect in father’s eyes? He doesn’t give a shit about us.”

“He does… in his own way I guess.” Shiro answered, trying to avoid the topic.

“He doesn’t, you know it. You’re just lying to yourself for who knows what reason.”

“I’m not lying to myself, Keith. I’m focusing on what is important. And as for now, what really is important is the people’s safety, and that includes yours.”

Keith gritted his teeth, looking away from his brother as he was tainted by a deep frustration.

“What about happiness?”

There was a short silence following Keith’s sentence, and he could feel his brother’s hand tense a bit. Shiro had something on his mind, Keith was sure of it. Shiro also had his own dream, his own desire and his own happiness, but he kept lying to himself and lying to the world.

“Happiness is something you build by making concessions. By accepting life’s challenges, and accepting yourself. Not by running away from your role.”

“But what if the one I am and I have to accept does not align with my role?”

Their eyes crossed again, and Shiro’s hand slowly left Keith’s shoulder to let his arm fall along his body.

“Then you have to make a concession.”

“What concession did you do?” Keith asked as a sad smile appeared on Shiro’s lips.

“One that is worth all the biggest treasures in the world.”

Keith noticed how shiny Shiro’s eyes were. He was not sure if those were tears he was holding back or if it was some other thoughts he wanted to keep for himself. But the hope he could find in his brother's gaze was the reason why Keith knew he could always believe in him, no matter what.

“I’m just exhausted from being someone everyone wants me to be. I’m not a hero, but there is not a place where people don’t remind me how great I did when I killed Zarkon. That is not who I am… I did nothing at all but still…”

“Don’t say you did nothing,” Shiro smiled, placing his hand on the shoulder where his arm was missing. “Without you we would have died. Adam would have died, I would have died, father too and everyone else. We survived because you were able to save us. We survived because their magic had no effect on you.”

It was not the speech Keith needed to hear, nor the one he wanted. He could see how hard Shiro was trying, how much he himself wanted to believe in those words. But Shiro too had fought Zarkon. He too had risked his life, helpless in front of the Wizard’s power. Keith would never forget the picture of his brother lying on the ground losing his blood quicker than the flow of a river joining the sea. He would never forget his scream when his arm was ripped away from the rest of his body under the twisted grin of Zarkon. The smell of the fire was not enough to cover death’s perfume, and the chaos of that time made his memory foggy. Like an old melody running through his brain with missing notes, leaving the vanishing melody incomplete. Shiro, just like Keith and everyone else, had been traumatized by that day. And Shiro, just like everyone else, was convinced Keith had a power inside him stronger than Zarkon and Honerva’s. When in reality, it had just been a question of luck.

Keith did not want to answer. He did not want to fake believing in his stupid cheer speech. So he simply nodded to put an end to the talk.

Shiro waited a bit, glancing at him to make sure everything was clear. Based on the depressed expression on his brother’s face, he thought it would be better to leave the topic for another day.

With his self-assured gait, he walked to the door, ready to leave the room when Keith’s voice interrupted him.

“Do you think that all witches are dangerous?”

Shiro’s hand laid on the door handle. Many thoughts crossed his mind, trying to come up with the right point for such a fragile topic. He sighed, tightening his grip before finally answering.

“Don’t you already know the answer?”

He did not want to say more. He did not want to talk about it with Keith, it was too much for him. The night was already taking its toll. So when Keith hummed, in a way signifying the end of their discussion, Shiro left, taking care of closing the door behind him.

Maybe he should have insisted and tried to find out the reason for such an odd question. But as for now, he had somewhere else to go.

It was extremely late and the castle was completely empty. Some guards were making their rounds, checking for anything out of the ordinary or hidden intruders hiding in the palace. But in the meantime everything was calm and Shiro finally felt a bit of freedom.

He silently walked across the corridors, noticing through the huge windows that embellishing the walls of the castle how full the moon was tonight.

Marmora’s castle truly had the most incredible view.

And when Shiro’s steps reached the throne’s room where the most beautiful luminosity was shining, enlightening the three thrones and the statues of the palace, a smile drew his lips.

Adam was there, right in front of Akira’s throne which was decorated by the embracing statue of Krolia.  
Shiro walked beside him, observing the face of his dead mother with a soft expression.

“The Kingdom will forever miss her. She was an amazing queen.” Shiro said, casting a glance at Adam. He never once stopped staring at the throne.

“She is still a great queen. But more than anything, she was a wonderful and loving mother. Wasn’t she?” Adam’s voice was low and sweet as he finally looked at Shiro. “You’re late.”

“Sorry, I had some duties with Keith.”

“Oh. Was he still moody about what happened with Lance this morning?”

“Probably but…” Shiro sighed, sitting on the stairs leading to the thrones. “I don’t know how to explain it. Things with Keith are always hard to understand.”

“Then don’t explain,” Adam made his way to join Shiro, sitting right next to him. He removed his sword from his armor, feeling more at ease. “I understand Keith way more than you do anyway.”

“Touché,” a laugh escaped Shiro’s mouth. Adam was not wrong; he had always been way better than him at getting people’s feelings. It was the reason why everyone had such a great respect for Adam, and it was the reason why Shiro loved his company more than anyone else.

“Takashi,” Adam whispered, realizing Shiro started to daze. “Do you want to talk about it? About what is on your mind?”

Shiro was completely focused on the knight’s face. Adam's left eye was raked by some scars the witch Honerva had inflicted on him, blinding Adam permanently. Another little scar marked his lips, its sight troubling Shiro, causing him to look away.

“There is not that much to talk about. He wishes for a life he can’t have and there is nothing I can do about it.”

“Well, you can’t blame him, he got it from Krolia, and so did you,” Adam chuckled, staring at the Marmora symbol reflecting on the floor. “It’s only part of a human's personality, to desire things they can’t have. It’s not really a problem, as long as we remember the things we are lucky to already have.”

Shiro smiled, raising his gaze toward the ceiling where a stained glass shone in the moonlight.

“How can someone like you be so wise?”

“Hey! What do you mean someone like me?” Adam turned towards Shiro, the crowned prince sporting a teasing smile.

“You know… stubborn…”

“I’m not stubborn. I just know that most of the time I am right and you are wrong. Future king or not I’ll never think otherwise.”

Shiro burst into laughter, standing up and walking in the middle of the throne room while Adam observed from the stairs.

“And as my best counsellor, I do hope that you will forever remind me when I’m doing something wrong.”

Under the pure light of the moon, Adam admired Shiro’s mighty silhouette. Prouder than his father, more impressive than any king, more genuine than any human. He could not wait to see him to bring forth a new age as king.

“You can trust me for that, My King.”

Shiro’s smile stretched as he heard those words. He was not a king yet, but for Adam to call him this way, this appellation seemed to have another meaning.

“Hey… Adam…”

“What now?” the knight answered as Shiro’s bright nature dimmed into one of seriousness.

“Have you ever thought that maybe… all witches were not representing a risk for the kingdom?”

Hearing the question, Adam did not immediately reply. He had no idea why Shiro was asking him such a thing, and he was even surprised for him to ask said question after all they had gone through in the past. Still, he could see how the idea was occupying Shiro’s mind. Somehow, Adam saw through the reflection of the wise king, glimpsing a different side to Shiro’s thoughts.

“I am a knight in this kingdom, Takashi. If it is not for war tactics then I am not supposed to think at all,” he said, focusing on one of the windows representing the witches. “But if you’re asking me… I do think that no matter who you are, generalities and fears should not be a reason to kill.”

In Adam’s eyes was shining an emotion Shiro was unable to read, something he wanted to add but he could not. Shiro wanted to ask more. He wanted to understand what exactly those words meant, but before he could ask, a soldier entered. He requested Adam’s help with some duties, putting an end to their talk.

There were so many things Shiro knew about Adam. Still, he always had this feeling he could learn more about his position as a knight. About his real thoughts, despite being forbidden. Rare were those able to understand the authenticity and the wisdom in Adam’s heart. Because the freedom and the dreams filling Adam's mind were bigger than the frontier imposed by the narrow kingdom.

\------------

The morning had never been Lance’s favorite moment of the day. Actually it was the opposite. To feel exhausted was the worst part of it, especially when he had not been able to absorb enough energy from the moonlight.

Laid on his bed, Lance’s whole body hurt. He was weak to the point that even opening his eyes to face the sunlight was asking for all his strength. He grumbled a bit while getting up, putting his feet on the cold wooden floor and gave everything he had to just stand on his two legs.

Yesterday had been tough. After what had happened with Keith, his mind was unable to focus on anything else but the unfortunate encounter. Of all the people he could have met, it had to be Keith.

Lance sighed, going down the ladder to join his mother from the kitchen. From the smell filling their house, he could tell she had prepared something substantial enough for him to get through the whole day.

“Hello sweetheart, how do you feel today?” Rosa asked, walking over to Lance. He sat at the table, and she immediately noticed how pale he was.

“Not so good, but nothing I haven’t handled already…” he said with a shrug.

Lance’s voice was low, and when Rosa did put her hand on his forehead, the hot temperature she caught was not even close to good news.

“Lance, honey, you’re burning up. There is no way you can make it today.”

“It’s okay… I can’t really miss the training today, not after the fight I had with Keith, Adam would be mad,” he said, rubbing his temples to nurse a growing headache. “Also, I swore to Hunk that I would see him today. He has a lot of work at the forge so we haven’t been able to catch up for some time.”

Rosa forced out a nod. She was aware that there was not a lot she could do for her son, but not to the point she would let him go to a training where he had to spend all his energy.

“At least pass by Lotor and Allura’s place. Maybe they will be able to give you a pick-me-up…”

Lance hummed, serving himself some of the milk his mom had brought home early in the morning. She was right, Lotor and Allura always had a solution, no matter how little or big Lance’s problems were. They surely had something that would help him somewhere in their cottage.

They were living in the forest, not far from the kingdom’s frontier. Lance knew the road like the back of his hand. He had been close to those two since he was four years old, for no one could truly come to understand Lance the way they do. After all they too were witches.

After taking the breakfast Rosa had prepared for him, Lance did not waste time to join the woods and walk to Allura and Lotor’s house. They were incredibly skillful with magic. Without them Lance would have probably never been able to control his magic as well as he was doing nowadays.

Unlike most of the witches in the area, they both were living in their true form. Lance had never seen them with their human forms. From the day he had met them, Allura and Lotor had long white hair and bright eyes, their skin covered by many marks. Allura’s eyes were lined with purple crescents, while Lotor’s gaze was filled by what looked like a lightning bolt of a similar color. Lance could tell Allura was weaker than Lotor, her marks were less pronounced and bright. Lotor used to be incredibly shiny, sparkling like the moon itself. But oddly, for some years now, he seemed to have lost a big part of his strength, for the marks on his body gleamed with a softer luminosity.

Lance tried not to give it much thought. He even came to the conclusion his memory was probably playing tricks on him.

As he arrived at the cottage, Lance smiled. Lotor and Allura really had a house full of magic. They had settled a force field that would only allow witches to see the thatched house. No matter how close humans without magic would come, they would not be able to find this place by their own will.

In any case, the place was absolutely lovely. The frontage was covered by climbing ivy, with a variety of flowers and shrubs planted right before it. An impressive Albizia julibrissin was growing so close to the little house, some of its branches were almost passing through the windows. The walls were made of grey bricks and the roof of straws.

Lance walked toward the front door before knocking. Lotor and Allura were like a family to Lance. They had protected him so many times and they were always giving him wonderful advice. He could not express enough how grateful he was for all the wonderful things they had brought him.

“Come in!” a voice called from the inside, the door opening by itself.

It was their definition of normalcy. No matter what the act was, it had to be done with a bit of magic. Their home was the living proof of that philosophy.

Behind the door was a place filled by plants, books, and phials. A broom was cleaning the floor by itself, moving on its own as Allura’s voice could be heard from a deeper part of the house. Lance crossed the place, following the odd smell of something being boiled. As soon as he found Allura cutting some mysterious plants while singing a strange tune, he immediately understood she was probably trying another one of her weird experiments.

“Hey ‘llura,” Lance said, waving at her to get her attention.

“Oh! Lance!” she exclaimed, turning to him. “What a pleasure! Lotor is outside picking some plants and finding some food. We’re lucky our vegetables have grown well since last time.”

“Don’t worry,” Lance really loved their way of living self-sufficient and free, it was the life he was inspired to have. “Actually, I’ll need your help more than Lotor’s. Do you think you could make me something to restore enough energy for the day?”

“Energy?” Allura stopped cutting her plants, walking towards Lance in order to examine him from up close.

She was incredibly beautiful; Lance had always thought that since he was a child. As far as he remembered, Lotor and her had always lived together. They never told him how they had met. They never told him the reason why they were still living here when they could actually be free and fly to a place where witches were not tortured and executed. But from the way they looked at each other, trusting one another in a way like they shared a mind Lance could tell their adventure had been something intense.

“Lance, you look terrible… you should hunt more often.”

“It’s okay, I usually don’t need it. I would have done so if a certain event had not happened.”

“What kind of event?” Allura questioned, walking to a small cupboard where many pots were stored.

“I might have been caught… by Keith.”

She ceased her movements, her purple eyes sharply meeting Lance’s blue ones.

“That is some kind of misfortune…” a different voice said from afar.

When Lance and Allura heard the comment, they both turned their gaze towards the source, finding Lotor’s arms full of flowers, plants, branches, mushrooms and many other elements found in the forest.

He came closer to Allura, setting everything on the workbench where she was experimenting. He placed a red lily in her hair, smiling softly before focusing on Lance. Lotor had always been kind and attentive to Allura, making small gestures to enlighten her days.

“Hey Lotor. Didn’t see you come in.”

“I noticed,” Lotor answered, grabbing Lance’s face to examine him up close and personal. A frown marred his features. “Your lack of energy is too obvious, there is no way you’ll get through the whole day.”

“That’s why I’m preparing an infusion,” began Allura. “The wheatgrass will boost him for sure. And by adding lavender, celery and my own magic, I can make him handle the day. But…” Allura shared a look with Lotor.

Lance could see the cons weigh on their shoulders. They had great knowledge about magic and the way it worked, especially Lotor. Lance had heard many times how special he was from Allura, all her magic awareness stemming from Lotor and his internal library. Neither of them ever told Lance how exactly they met, but Lance knew Allura would not be here if Lotor never took her hand and helped where she needed it.

“It’s okay!” Lance exclaimed, waiting for Allura to pour him the yellowish potion, the strong aroma making him feel a tad faint. “It’s nothing I’m not used to, it’s my fault for not restoring enough energy last night.”

“Yes, you mentioned Keith, right?” Allura asked again, pouring the potion in a beautiful crystal glass for Lance. “What happened?”

“Well… he saw me… but I don’t think he recognized me. He probably thinks that I’m just a simple witch he was lucky enough to find on his getaway to the woods at night.” Lance answered, reluctantly swallowing the bitter potion Allura gave him.

“How did he find you? Were you hunting at the moment?” asked Lotor.

“I was, but I did not have the time to proceed,” Lance replied, pulling the glass away from him. “And even if I had, my call should not have been able to reach for him. Charms do not work on Keith.”

Lotor took time to focus, trying to understand the situation. All witches had their own way to hunt. For Lance, everything was based on charming his prey. He would trigger a charm in a large area, creating a call for any human present in the environment. The human would be completely hypnotized, allowing Lance to take their vital energy without them remembering anything.

But Lance was right: Keith was different. He could not have been attracted by Lance’s call. Lotor flinched as it crossed his mind, eyes mirroring Lance’s as they shared the same idea.

“Then maybe what attracted him to you was not your call-”

“That’s what I thought,” Lance said, interrupting Lotor’s reflection. “I can’t really think of anything else but that explanation. I’m just surprised I didn't feel him coming to me.”

Lotor frowned, gaze falling on a small notebook laid next to him.

“I’m sorry, Lance.” he whispered, obviously bothered by how things were turning.

“We already talked about it, Lotor. You’re not responsible. Without you, things would probably have been worse.”

A silence settled amidst the trio. The mistakes of the past had been done and sadly, nothing could ever be changed. Yet, every time the topic of Keith came up, Lance saw nothing but intense guilt shroud Lotor’s light.

\------------

It was almost part of Lance’s routine to pass by Lotor and Allura’s home before starting his day. Besides the fact they were the solution to many of Lance’s problems, they were wonderful friends who Lance could always count on.

He would usually go see them early in the morning or late in the night to be sure no one would catch him leaving the kingdom for the forest.

Truth be told even during his night walks, Lance had never met other witches besides Allura and Lotor in those woods. It was a vast land after all, and witches all around the Kingdom slowly started to disappear. Children did not want to keep their powers, and adults were executed as soon as they were found out. Lance was not even sure if there were other witches.

King Akira had expressed many speeches explaining that the threat of the Dark Witches was not over; that somewhere they hid in those woods, protected by the darkness, that Haggar resided there, waiting to strike. Though, Lance had not once seen them in ten full years. The forest was mainly inhabited by animals and majestic trees.

Most of the time, the few witches that were executed were found inside the kingdom. However, it did not hide the fact there were mysterious human disappearances going on still.

“Lance! My boy!” Lance turned his gaze, trying to see through the high sun dazzling him.

“Hello Mr. Garett,” he replied, a huge smile on his lips as the man was manipulating a red-hot blade. “I came to see Hunk, is he here?”

“Yeah, in the back. He’s learning how to forge the tip of a blade today, so don’t distract him too much.” Mr. Garett warned with a teasing smile.

He knew perfectly how close Lance and his son were, that was why he was never bothered when Lance was passing by to see him. Lance was a kind boy, known by many people in the Kingdom. A kid with some bad luck, whose father died way too early and who always had to give his best to reach what he wanted. Yet that was the reason why everyone liked him so much, because Lance was full of kindness and had the desire to go further in life, just like his mother.

“Not my style to distract Hunk while he’s working!”

“Ah! Should I remind you how many times I had to scold you both so he would focus on his apprenticeship?”

Lance giggled, grabbing two apples that were put on the forge’s counter before entering the shop to pass the back.

“I’ll have to decline your proposition Mr. Garett, but thanks for asking!”

The loud laugh of Mr. Garett could be heard through the forge, amusing Lance as he crossed the workshop.

The smithy was huge; it was actually the most appreciated in Marmora. The work here was perfect, and the King himself sometimes enjoyed placing an order here instead of asking his own blacksmith.

Most businesses were located in the open market area, close to the heart of the kingdom at the foot of the castle. And it was the case of the forge. Since Lance’s training for the royal guard was at the Marmora castle, he made it a habit to visit Hunk while on his way to his duty.

“Hey buddy!” Lance exclaimed, getting Hunk’s attention.

“You’re early today.”

Hunk took some seconds to finish what he was doing, placing his tools besides him when finished. A bucket laid at his feet, Hunk dipped his hands to clean the grime.

“Yeah, I wanted to walk a bit before going to practice. Adam made it so the whole day was filled with training.”

Lance threw one of the apples he had brought towards Hunk, the boy immediately catching it before biting it.

“That’s rough buddy. But that’s the royal guard’s rule, you’re lucky to have your place here regardless of your social status.”

“Yes I know,” Lance sank his teeth in the flesh of the apple, chomping the fruit’s morsel while sitting on the table near Hunk’s tools. “I guess that’s the only good thing I gained by meeting Keith.”

“Don’t be mean. He’s nice, he sometimes comes here and asks many questions about how blades are made. I like him.”

“Well, he is not as trustworthy as what he wants to show.”

“Lance…”

Lance took another bite of his apple, playing with it before focusing on his friend.

“But you’re right!” he shouted, trying to avoid the topic. “I’m lucky to be part of the royal guard’s young generation. I can see I don’t really fit here since they all are rich kids with stupid faces, but I’m giving my best! Plus, I need money anyway, so I won’t complain.”

“Not everyone is that stupid. Pidge also doesn’t seem to enjoy all the pedantry.”

“Man, true fact! If it wasn’t for him, I would have exploded already. No joke, I don’t get how a dude like Pidge can be so humble while being surrounded by all those show-offs.”

Hunk laughed in front of Lance’s annoyed face. It was true the royal guard’s young generation was principally constituted by the courtiers’ children or by some very rich kids. As wealthy people, they had their own training, their own duty and many other things to do like studying. It was the reason why their practice for the royal guard was not taking the whole day-- to give them time to train on other things. But for someone like Lance who only had this occupation, it was an opportunity to find work at other places or to help people around him.

“Well, Pidge knows how serious this work is. Unlike most of those wealthy soldiers, he truly wants to protect the Kingdom. That’s just a normal feeling since his father and brother both died during the Cursed Day.”

The apple’s juice suddenly tasted bitter in Lance’s throat. The Cursed Day was the name given by some people to the time Zarkon and Honerva came back to Marmora around five years ago. For Lance, the memory was like a nightmare. He was at home when it happened, and to see his mother being bewitched right in front of him like the rest of the country made him feel so powerless. But what else could he do against the cruelest witches the world had ever known. Without Keith’s action, they all would have died. Thinking back on it, guilt ate at Lance for what he said to him yesterday. No matter how much he resented Keith, what the young Prince witnessed and had thrusted upon his young hands Lance would not wish on his worst enemy and definitely not on Keith.

Hunk waved his hand in front of Lance’s lost expression. He seemed sad and exhausted. It was not unusual for Lance to be tired, but it was the first time Hunk saw him so weak.

“You really don’t look good, Lance.”

“Oh?” Lance grinned, rubbing his eyes. “It’s okay I’m just dazed. Anyway, I should not stay here for too long, Adam will get mad at me if I’m late.”

“You’re pushing yourself too much, it’s okay to take a break if you’re sick.”

“I’m not, really everything is okay, I’m still as handsome as ever, right?”

As Lance was giving him his happiest expression, Hunk sighed, throwing away the core of his apple as Lance finished his own.

“Classic Lance,” he replied, taking his tools to get back to work. “In any case, I’m watching you. You better come see me so I can check on your rapier once in a while!”

“Guess I will come back soon then!”

The boy announced as he was leaving the workshop. From the way he was walking, Hunk could totally tell there was something off about him. Lance was pale, and his body language was the proof of how burnt out he was. But there was not much he could do to stop him. It was Lance’s way of pushing himself to the top, even at the expense of his health.

“Take care of yourself Lance!”

Lance waved at Hunk from afar, leaving the forge without adding any words.

What could he say anyway?

He could not simply miss practice because he did not have enough energy. And not coming for a day would only bring suspicion, it was not possible. Lance had to be perfect so that people would never be aware of his difference.

That was why, even while going to the castle, he was doing his best to look content. People were greeting him, calling him, sometimes interrupting his venture in order to help an old acquaintance or two. If he were to be found out as a witch, he wanted to be the living proof that his power was not making him good or bad. He was just a boy wishing to be accepted without the constant fear of being executed.

“Lance!”

A soft voice called in the middle of a paved square. The square was surrounded by timbered houses embellished by flowers and beautiful trees. The sun was hitting the town hard, the area drowning in the morning light. Under the blue sky Nyma was waving at Lance, holding a huge bouquet of flowers.

Nyma was a florist. Lance and her had known each other since they were children, a young Nyma sometimes coming to his place to play. Nyma was incredibly smart, always having the right thoughts about different ideas. Not only was she intelligent, but was blessed with such overwhelming beauty nearly all the boys their age often tried to court her.

And it was true that seeing Nyma sparkling under the sweet sunrays of Marmora, encircled by all the flowers she had settled on her cart, she was a sight to see.

“Hey Nyma, selling flowers this early in the morning?”

“Well, business is business… but I’ve been able to sell a few this morning, so I’m glad!”

Lance smiled, noticing the slight blush on her cheeks.

“I can tell; those are pretty flowers after all. Just like you,” he winked, flustering the girl a little bit. “Sadly I need to go. Practice will start soon so…”

“Oh… well best of luck with your training, Lance. Come see me more often!”

“Sure, will do.”

Nyma had a moment of hesitation, playing with her fingers to overcome her panic. She looked towards her cart, plucking a red pansy and placed it in the boy’s hands.

“It’s… for you,” she said and stopped, rethinking about what she wanted to say. “Well not especially for you-- I mean you can give it to your mother, or maybe to someone you’re into like a girl or-…”

“Nyma,” Lance gazed at the flower, an amused smile appearing on his lips as her choice had been incredibly right. “Thank you.”

The girl stared at this handsome boy in front of her, beaming as he walked down the path with the bud in hand. Lance was an amazing boy, so kind and honest; yet completely unaware of how highly people thought of him. But there was always a strange feeling in Nyma’s heart. That no matter how much she wanted to get close to him, there would always be a gap settled between him and the rest of the world. That he would never let anyone know the secret he held like a precious treasure. And nothing was more frustrating for her.

\------------

“Oh wow watch it! Lance McClain, Marmora’s loverboy, is arriving with a flower. Who’s the girl that rejected you this time?”

Lance shrugged, passing his arm around Pidge’s shoulder, who had been waiting for Lance for a couple of minutes by now.

“Say what you want Pidgeon-”

“Pidge.”

“Yeah, that. But this flower was a gift from the cutest girl you’ve ever seen.”

“She probably confused you with someone else,” Pidge declared with a smirk before shrugging off Lance’s embrace.

“You’re just jealous because you’re not as popular as I am.”

“Hah! As if,” Pidge said, pulling out one of the swords provided for the soldiers. “Think what you want Lance, but unlike you I’m not here to flirt. I just want to fight.”

Without giving him the time to answer, Pidge spun the sword, kicking Lance’s stomach, causing him to fall the same way Keith had done the day before.

“See, that’s exactly why you don’t have a girlfriend.” Lance grumbled, already annoyed by the day.

“Beyond that, it was an easy attack. Why didn’t you counter it?”

“Because I wasn’t prepared.”

“Bullshit,” Pidge offered him a hand, putting the sword aside and examining Lance’s face with a concerned frown. “Hey, you look dead as hell, Lance. Do you even sleep sometimes?”

“I do. Or else I wouldn’t be this incredible.”

“I’m serious though. It’s not like you to be so careless.”

Lance stayed silent. He did not know how to answer. Luckily, the other soldiers around them were not really paying attention to their exchange, too busy stretching themselves or beginning their training before Adam’s arrival. Or at least, that was what Lance thought.

“He’s not that wrong.” Lance heard from afar as footsteps walked towards him and Pidge.

He did not like it when people interfered in stuff that had nothing to do with them, especially when they were people like James. Lance did not hate James. Still he did not really like him either. The guy was the best element of the young generation of the royal guard, sharing first place with Keith without any problem. He was not the worst soldier. Sure his self-confidence was something and his pride was way too high, but he was respectful and always judged people over their actions.

“Leave him alone, James, it has nothing to do with you.”

This time, Ryan was the one to talk. James and him were close friends and Lance appreciated Ryan way more than James. And it was only for that reason he decided not to answer any of them, catching James’ burning stare as he wanted to add more.

But he did not have the time to since as soon as he started to open his mouth, Adam arrived, immediately followed by Keith. Strangely he seemed to be somewhere else.

Usually, Lance would have made a comment about him, talking about the fact that he was late as always or about him being escorted by Adam like the privileged little prince he was. But not today. Lance’s mind kept returning to what happened last night, about the words Keith had said to him and the reason why he had found him. His heart squeezed at the thought. Lance was sick of his life being altered and shifted by each decision Keith made. He just wanted to forget everything about Keith, just like the Prince had done with him.

Lance was so lost in his head he did not notice Adam, Keith, and all the soldiers were looking hard at him. They were not used to seeing Lance so silent when Keith arrived.

The exceptional situation settled such an awkward atmosphere Adam had to clear his throat, a call for his soldiers to get back to their agenda and not waste any more time.

“Lance, come here.”

Adam’s voice was cold. It was obvious he wanted to talk to Keith and him about what had happened yesterday. Keith was right beside Adam, his typical dark expression sticking on his unbearable face, arms crossed over his chest as he avoided Lance’s gaze at all cost.

What a joke for a guy who had called him ‘incredibly beautiful’ the night before.

Lance focused on Adam, his straight and strong build expressing his power and impressive advantage over the two.

“What happened yesterday at the morning practice should never. Never. Happen again. Is that clear?”

Lance diverted his gaze, unable to face Adam’s strict demeanor. From the corner of his eye he could see that Keith was also trying to look away. The affection he had towards Adam was probably the reason why he hated to disappoint him.

“It is.” Keith eventually answered, pouting a bit.

As for Lance, he simply nodded, gaining Adam’s attention when he suddenly noticed the red pansy the boy was holding. He raised an eyebrow, slightly smirking in front of Lance’s clueless face.

“Well, I’m surprised you decided to apologize in such a nice way, Lance,” Adam giggled, pointing at the flower. “What a beautiful gift for our sweet little prince.”

“Wh- no!” Lance stuttered, blushing as he realized where the situation was going as Keith finally decided to look at Lance, surprised. “It’s not- I didn’t- There is no damn way this is for him!”

“Come on kiddo, don’t be shy. I wanted to ask you to kiss him on the cheek as an apology, but a flower is not a bad idea either.”

“Adam you can’t do this to me!”

“Oh I actually can do way worse Lance, so you better give him the flower.”

Lance complained, bringing nothing but more embarrassment between the two boys meant to make peace. However, a flower surely was better than a kiss. Which was why, without waiting or making the moment even more unpleasant, Lance simply offered the flower to Keith. He tried his best to not make eye contact with anyone-- especially Keith-- during the awkward exchange.

“You really don’t have to, Lance.” Keith said, not daring to touch the pansy’s stem.

“Just take it, please.”

The Prince hesitated. The mood was not quite enjoyable and kind of heavy, but it was nice to not feel completely hated by Lance for the first time in ten whole years. He grabbed the stem, frowning as the frustration grew in the back of his mind, and thanked Lance with such a little voice the boy was not sure if he really said those words.

“Great!” Adam exclaimed, clapping for the attention of the other young soldiers now that the matter was settled. “Now I want to see you all with swords in hands. No fight, just work on your positions to begin with.”

He turned his gaze to Keith and Lance, the boys obviously uncomfortable due to the apology they had been forced to exchange.

“And do not make a damn fuss.”

The two boys wanted to hide in a hole. Lance hated to be treated like a child, and he knew Keith was the same. He knew Keith more than he wished he would. The hate he had towards him was nothing he could control, a burning sensation engulfing him in a sea of red, wanting nothing more than to make Keith feel just as horrible as he felt.

He despised Keith. It was how he would forever see him because of what Keith had broken between them.

\------------

The evening in Marmora Kingdom was incredible. The country was not that rainy, days of rain were short and rare. The dying day exposed a red sky, the people and Lance enamored with its haunting beauty.

Lance was sitting against a wall, admiring the splendid sky with an odd fascination. His breath was short and his body was barely able to bear its own weight. He needed some strength; he needed more vital energy. Allura’s preparation had not been enough to handle a whole day of intense training, most of the fights and exercises the boy was supposed to fulfill had been a huge failure.

He was laughable and pitiful. Hiding his real form was too much for Lance, and the spell helping him to hide his mark was only adding to the amount of energy Lance had to expend. It was not a life. It was a curse, forcing him to exist with a constant fear and attention over things he should not have lived through if it was not for Keith.

Keith.

Lance turned his gaze toward the boy’s direction.

He also had been slower than usual during training. Adam had to wake him up from his daze more than once, suddenly stopping in the middle of practice consumed by his thoughts.

Lance did not want to think too much about it, even though he could not help but assume he was the reason for Keith's daydreaming. For a human to be marked by a meeting with a witch was not uncommon. Witches’ strong aura was like a poison invading their spirit and charming them in less than a second. But as soon as the witch would leave, the human would quickly be taken by the fear of the unknown feeling, reporting the presence of a magical being in the forest and leading the witch to their own death.

But Keith was different. Lance had always known that. He knew all his secrets, even ones Keith had no idea about himself. The bond between them was strong, Lance’s aura penetrating Keith’s subconscious with the ferocity of a virus.

While Lance’s breath was accelerating due to the fatigue, giving him a need to puke because of his weakness, Keith’s eyes landed on him. From afar, Lance was looking at the boy who had caught his gaze. They never broke contact, half defying each other and half trying to understand what was on the other’s mind.

They were linked by a string none of them would ever be able to get rid of. And nothing could make Lance want to cry as much as that fact, for Lance wanted nothing more than to be freed from Keith’s grip.

“You okay dude?” Lance glanced up, unveiling a pale face to a worried Pidge.

“Yeah, I’m just a bit tired but I’m all good.”

“Stop lying, you’re about to faint. We should tell Adam you need a break for today, the training is almost done anyway.”

“It’s okay Pidge. Really, don’t mind it.”

“Why are you saying it’s okay when it’s obviously not?” Pidge was not the one who answered. Lance did not have to guess, the owner playing on his nerves since his arrival that morning.

James was standing behind Pidge, looking down on Lance, pissed. His sword in hand, he put it back in its sheath.

“Your technique was terrible. You were slow and you obviously were moving without remembering anything Adam taught us. It’s clear that you regressed.”

“Nobody asked you James,” Lance answered, scowling at him before getting up to leave.

“I know. But if no one tells you, how do you expect to improve? If you’re weak then don’t come. You’re not gaining anything by acting all proud.”

“James,” Ryan interrupted, putting a palm on his friend’s shoulder to avoid any problem. “Stop that, it has nothing to do with you.”

“Exactly, take a hike dude,” Lance got closer to James, giving him a dirty look as the boy remained impassive.

“I don’t need to take a hike,” James replied, shrugging off Ryan’s touch to face Lance better. “But you clearly need a break. Just because you want to impress everyone and to show that you’re better than Keith, doesn’t mean you should act all proud and screw up training by coming in such a pathetic state.”

“Fuck you James,” Lance was more than annoyed. He was crazed by James, his overconfidence and perfection nagging at him like a worm in an apple. “We get it, you’re number one and you need to show it. But do not step in my business. This has nothing to do with you, and you have no right to tell how I should behave. Not all of us were born with a silver spoon in their mouth.”

“Stop victimizing yourself, I don’t even get your point,” James said, analyzing Lance’s gaunt face, his twitching eyes were unable to focus on a clear point. “I don’t care about who you are and your wealth. We are trained to be the elite of the Kingdom, but you’re not taking this seriously. You were lucky enough to be part of us, yet you just don’t give a damn about your responsibility. How do you expect yourself to protect others when you can’t even get a hold of yourself?”

“Mind your fucking business!”

Lance pushed James, the knight-in-training showing no interest in continuing the fight. He was boiling, but he did not want to create more fuss. He did not have the opportunity to anyway, for Adam made his way to them, enraged as he separated the two boys.

“Enough!” His scream was loud and sharp, petrifying all the soldiers. It was not like Adam to lose his cool, but this time everyone could tell how mad he was. “You two are soldiers supposed to defend the Kingdom, not to fight each other for I don’t know what reason! Do I need to remind you of the situation in Marmora? Do I need to show you what kind of responsibilities you have? Thousands of lives will be placed in your hands, and all you can do is to argue like idiots during training?”

No one dared to talk. Adam was one of the most respected men in the whole country, and to see him harshly reprimanding two of his soldiers was not something that anyone was used to seeing. Adam’s anger was normally reserved for injustice and fear.

Pidge and Ryan were both silent, wondering what they could have done to avoid such a thing. As for Keith he was observing the scene without a word. He knew the trauma Adam had faced, knew he was not one to shrug off the reality of the army. Adam was perfectly aware of the danger being a soldier implied.

And if his apprentices were not mature enough to control their emotions, then they had nothing to do in the royal guard.

“I’ve never been this disappointed,” at those words, Lance’s eyes filled with tears. “I would have expected more from the best element of the young generation, James. And for you Lance… another warning and you’re definitely out.”

Lance did not want to hear anymore. It was unfair. Everything was unfair. He could not even defend himself; he could not say a thing about the mess that was going on in his head. All he could do was accept he was a failure and Adam— the man he had always admired and appreciated, the man who always took his side when people were mocking Lance’s social status, the man who had seen Lance grow up like a big brother— was unable to help him this time.

“Fine, then I guess I should leave right now.”

“Lance, don’t.”

Adam wanted to convince him to stay, but the boy was too stubborn to change his mind. He did not have a solution at the moment, Lance was not in the right headspace and it had been the case for some days now. If he needed to clear his mind somewhere else, then maybe it was better to let him go.

Adam sighed, rubbing his temples while closing his eyes. He had always loved taking care of the children; to give them enough strength to find the courage to be the future heroes, and more than anything else made them understand how important their lives were. It was what Adam fought for and wanted to protect. Those were the reasons why Shiro trusted him so much. But today, he had failed with Lance.

“What happened exactly?” Adam asked James. He had not moved.

“Nothing. I noticed he was not feeling well and I tried to tell him that if he wasn’t taking his duty seriously, then he had no reason to be here. I didn’t want to be rude or anything.”

“Well you were kind of a jerk here James,” Pidge butted in.

“I was not. I don’t even hate Lance, unlike Keith. I think he has amazing potential and that he is good representation since he is the only one here to not be part of the high-class. But his will to improve should not be put before his health. He will put himself in danger if he keeps up the habit.”

Adam was listening to James’ explanation. The kid was not wrong. Actually, James was rarely wrong. He was smart and fair. His parents were incredibly rich, which gave him the reputation of being a temperamental boy, but it was not like that at all. James had the most potential to become one of the best knights. Not even Keith was as promising. Their main difference was that one had no desire to stay in the kingdom and protect the people, while the other would put his own life in danger to take care of the people and bring justice.

“I get what you mean. Still, it was not your role to have this talk with Lance, but mine. Now he left and you guys better fix the mess you started.”

They all shared a look, staying silent at Adam’s demand. The knight was waiting for someone to manifest themselves, yet from what he could see none of them wanted to take some minutes out of their time to go find Lance.

“Are you kidding me? Pidge aren’t you his friend?”

“I am, but I really need to go and I have no idea where he could have gone.”

“Well make some effort. No one? Really?”

The silence that followed was almost heartbreaking. Lance was not really close to anyone. People liked him, but they did not know anything about him. Nothing about his secrets, his insecurities, his favorite places in Marmora... Keith flinched, the brutal realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. He did know something, or at least, he felt like he knew something about him. Like an old picture emerging from a deep pond, a place Lance liked more than anything else.

“The bell tower,” he whispered to himself.

“The bell tower?” Adam asked, doubtful.

“Well I guess. That’s the first thought that came to my mind so…”

“Perfect. Keith you go find him.”

“Are you kidding?” he softly chuckled before realizing Adam was serious, no humor crinkling his eyes. “No way. He hates me!”

“No he doesn’t, he gave you a very cute flower.”

“Because you forced him to!”

“Keith,” Adam glared at the boy, exhaling due to all the anxiety his work was giving him. “You better go find him. It’s not as if you had anything else to do anyway.”

“It wasn’t even my fault he left! James should be the one to go.”

“Hey, chill your highness,” James commented, bored. “I don’t really think I’m the one he wants to see right now.”

“I’m not either. I’m not even sure if he’s at the bell tower!”

“Keith. You go.”

Keith grumbled. He did not want to. Going to Lance would only make the situation worse and it was not as if they appreciated each other’s company. But Adam’s gaze was clear, he had to go no matter what and Keith had no good excuse. Keith sighed and began the trek, internally hoping his intuition was wrong and Lance was not at the bell tower.

\------------

High in the red sky of a dying day, Lance could see a group of birds flying between all those marvelous colors, envying their freedom.

The Kingdom of Marmora was wonderful, a fact even Lance could not deny and surely leaving this place would hurt him. But staying here was becoming more complicated. He could not live like others his age, nor could he walk around normally as he passed by the same public area many like him were burned alive. He simply could not live.

But when he was sitting on the top of the bell tower, he believed maybe the sky was reachable. It was not as high as the castle, but it was enough to let him dream.

There was no place he cherished as much as the bell tower. Many memories were made at the tower and remembering them was enough to bring a smile on his lips.

The sunset before him glimmered brightly, the red hue so warm Lance felt like its light could cure his weakness. But it was an impossible wish. He was a creature of the night, the moon’s protégé, the one destined to never be able to step in the searing rays of the sun.

Some people were strictly made to live in the shadows. That was where Lance belonged.

Close to losing himself in what had happened in two days, Lance heard someone approaching him. He did not have the strength to look at them and see who exactly found his hiding place. Though, when the person sat at the edge of the bell tower right beside Lance, the boy sighed.

Of all the people here it had to be Keith. There was no way he would talk to him. It was his fault he had not been able to get enough vital energy during the night. It was his fault his life was the mess it was.

“Nice spot…” Keith said, awkward. He had no idea what to say to someone who hated his guts.

He was holding the flower Lance had given him earlier, playing with the stem while taking care to not kill it. But flowers were so ephemeral. No matter how hard Keith would try to protect it and preserve it, there would come a day when it would fade and die without any chance to bring it back.

Lance did not answer, staying silent in front of the impressive firmament. It was not like he wanted to see Keith, and it was not like he had asked for him to come. Keith’s presence did not make any sense. Lance had been able to avoid him for years, only needing to worry about dealing with him at training. But suddenly Keith was everywhere, finding all the secrets and comforting places Lance was still able to enjoy.

Yet, he found it curious that Keith guessed the exact spot where Lance had gone. It was strange, though it made sense.

“How did you know I was here?”

His tone was soft, quiet and downtrodden as he was not in his highest spirit. He was sweet compared to the other times he had addressed Keith.

“Intuition, I guess.”

Lance glanced at Keith, who was focused on the sunset before them. Intuition he said. This answer brought a wave of warmth in his heart, triggering an intense loneliness Lance kept buried in his chest.

“We used to play here, when we were children.”

Keith turned his gaze towards Lance, catching in his deep blue eyes the reflection of the sunset, mixing up the reddish taint with the ocean laid in his pupils.

It was the first time ever Lance had brought their childhood in one of their talks. Never, not even once had the boy heard from his mouth their relationship from the past. Shiro and Adam would sometimes bring up the topic, trying to reawaken his lost memories. But it was always in vain, what he once knew flung into the void long ago.

Yet, Keith was hit with a profound curiosity, reading on Lance’s expression a nostalgia he would never be able to feel. He wanted to know more, to understand the pain Lance had gone through.

“How close were we… in the past?”

Keith asked, not really sure if his question was tactful. But he could not help it. He needed to hear more. When Lance sighed, he realized their actual relationship was not making it easy for them to exchange about the good old days. Or maybe he was wrong to think like that. Because as soon as he meant to apologize and put an end to the weird moment, Lance started to answer as he observed the sky with a sweet smile.

“We were inseparable.”

The soft look on his face made Keith’s heart skip a beat. He had never seen him so honest and open.

“Like a family?”

“No, like soulmates.”

Lance combed a hand through his hair, hiding the slight blush coloring his cheeks. It had been a long time since someone had asked him about those lovely days, and it had been so long since he had forced himself to remember all the memories by Keith’s side.

“It was like no matter what could happen you would always be there for me and I would forever be there for you. There was not a thing I wanted to do without you and I think it was mutual,” Lance chuckled. “When your father told you to stop playing, or when my mom told me that we should go home, we would run through the whole Kingdom only to hide here. We thought no one would find us here. But of course every time we were, and we were scolded. Not that it stopped us.”

A sweet laugh escaped from his lips, surprising Keith. How was it the first time he saw not just Lance’s beautiful ocean eyes, but more of his wonderful features? The dimples appearing on his cheeks, his musical laugh, it was maddening.

“We never needed to promise anything to each other. It was crystal clear we would forever be together. It was written in our hearts that nothing would ever be able to break us apart. I would have done everything for you.”

Keith could not look at the sunset anymore; the real show being the boy opening his heart to him for the first time in ten years of hatred. And in those blue eyes were locked little pearls, sparkling like the salt of the sea. Lance was holding back his tears, smiling to hide the pain invading him.

“Then why?” Keith murmured as he was trying to understand how things could have turned this way. “Why did we end up like this?”

Keith’s voice echoed through the great void in front of them, flying with those free birds while Lance’s voice was locked in his throat. It was too much for him. Living this way was too much.

“‘Why’ you ask?” Lance rubbed his eyes as the tears started to roll down his cheeks, making him sound even weaker than what he already was. “Because I gave you my everything. I sacrificed all I had for you and you…”

He stopped, biting down on his sob. He could not say it. He should not say it. It was a secret too big to be revealed. And saying it at the moment would not change a thing. Nothing would ever change. Keith had abandoned him and from now on they had to make their road without each other.

Lance took a deep breath to calm down. He had talked too much. The day would come for him to definitely leave the kingdom, and he would never let Keith be the one to make him want to stay. He had given up on finding happiness by his side. It was all in the past.

Slowly, Lance stood up, sniffling and rubbing his eyes to put an end to the stupid cries.

Keith watched him, confused. They were not done. Lance had more to tell, he was sure of it. Without thinking, Keith grabbed Lance’s wrist. He needed to hear more about their past. He had to see deep inside the boy’s heart.

“And I what? Why don’t you tell me? We can fix it… we can if you just talk to me, Lance.”

“Fix it?” Lance glared at Keith, ripping away from his grip and diverted his eyes. “You can’t fix something if you’ve lost the pieces that were composing it.”

Lance’s tone had changed. It was not soft anymore, but sharp and broken. Some clues were missing and because of that their friendship would never be possible. So when Lance started to walk away, leaving the bell tower as the day vanished in the darkness of the night, Keith could not find the strength to stop him.

He had no argument, the elements he needed hidden somewhere in his lost memories.

Keith stayed for a couple of minutes, thinking about what Lance had finally told him after so many years. His heart was torn, unable to so much as consider escaping the kingdom for tonight. However, despite what Lance said, Keith believed maybe the time had come for Lance and him to search for the friendship they used to share.


	4. The Witch Hunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! 
> 
> It's been a while but Chapter 3 of Bewitched is finally over (well... Thanks to AO3 considering the prologue is a first chapter it's listed as chapter 4 of the story, but it is Chapter 3... Am I even getting clear? Anyway...)
> 
> I realized I never write a summary for the chapters because I'm lazy, so I'm trying to find accurate titles for each chapter and I'm kinda failing at it since I'm terrible at finding titles in general... so chapter title is totally beyond my skills. But I'm trying!
> 
> The incredible illustrations are created by @bilawelle_panda and @shuideleau, you can find them under these names on instagram.
> 
> I also have a great beta reader, @Stardust_and_Blades (on AO3 and Instagram) who helped me a lot to improve my English and my style.
> 
> I'm still not sure when next chapter of Bewitched will be shared, maybe around end of March and beginning of April, but if you want to see the story going on little by little, consider joining me on instagram (@thankyou_klance) where I share small parts of the chapter every 2 days!
> 
> Thank you for reading the note and the story, if you liked the chapter feel free to leave a comment or a kudo or whatever you want!
> 
> Enjoy your reading ♥

Another day passed in the middle of an oppressive room. On Keith’s left was Shiro, proud and powerful with his straight posture on the throne. Shiro’s seriousness expressed how earnestly he was taking the Kingdom’s duties. Right behind Keith and Shiro was their father, Akira. Keith did not need to see his face. He could guess the kind of presence Akira emitted at the moment. Keith knew his father more than anyone else. He knew his pride and his cold expression; his sick satisfaction when the people begged for his help. Keith knew all those faults his father had already. It was the reason why he despised each moment he had to pass by his side.

Keith was tired of being forced assisting with the people’s requests. He was tired of his duties as a prince, of hearing his father answering with a dreary and unbearable tone.

But the more tiresome were those voices overwhelming Keith’s mind like an unremitting sound, making him unable to speak, unable to think, unable to sleep. Keith was tired.

He was in a constant state between the dream and the reality. Sometimes, people would talk to him and Keith would think it was just another one of his hallucinations. Other times he would be alone, completely isolated, and still someone talked to him. Called his name again, and again, and again… As if he was never completely awake, and never completely asleep.

“Keith…”

A woman’s voice resounded, the same as the one he kept hearing every night.

“Keith, honey. Can’t you feel it? The power of the witches traveling in your body…”

The nonsense had to stop. But he could not silence her. He was hypnotized by her, but not as much as the second voice. The exact same voice he could hear in his dreams, the mysterious woman replaced by a boy.

The sweet melody of his tone was incredibly familiar. But Keith could never remember. Every time he would open his eyes he would forget the voice again. Though it always called him with such desperate screams.

“Keith… why did you forget?”

The boy was crying, Keith could hear it. He sounded so young yet so mature at the same time. Keith wanted to listen more, to finally understand why the boy was so broken.

“You promised you would not forget… it was a promise…”

Keith was mesmerized, fascinated by each word echoing in his mind. There was something missing, keys he needed if he wanted to fix this enigma. But he had no idea how to find them.

He had forgotten.

“Don’t leave me alone Keith… please don’t leave me alone…”

What could he even answer? The voice became louder and louder, begging for help, sobbing like a lost soul, flooding Keith’s brain in an uncontrollable illusion. And when the cries turned into a strident explosive scream, Keith suddenly woke up, ejected from his own make believe world. Or was it truly a figment of his imagination?

Short-winded, Keith tried to focus again, his head plunged into his hands. Drops of sweat rolled along his face and he could not stop shaking. The voice had faded, leaving nothing but a void in Keith’s spirit as the boy was slowly regaining consciousness.

Everything was silent around him… abnormally silent.

He raised up his head, and with no surprise he noticed all eyes stuck on him.

Keith was aware of the concerned looks people gave him recently. The rumors about his brink upon insanity started to spread in the kingdom of Marmora. He saw it by the murmurs some courtiers exchanged, casting glances at Keith while the boy tried to return from his hallucination.

His madness did not go unnoticed, and he was the first one to know.

Since the day he met the witch in the woods, something had changed inside him, his vision becoming blurry and only showed what his heart desired to find again. The witch haunted Keith, purple eyes shining in the night and piercing his soul, triggering all his senses. The sparkling veil covering his face and his white hair surrounding his visage with delicacy only made Keith wonder about the witch’s identity. All those details were painting a portrait in Keith’s memory, the boy was falling into his fantasies once again.

Almost ten days had passed since Keith met the witch, and not a night had been spent without him going to the forest to cross his path again. Yet, not once had the witch shown himself. The obsession Keith had towards the witch was not something he was able to explain. It was a mix between fascination and fear, an intense desire to understand his attraction towards this living being. Love would be a strong word, he did not know him, he did not even know his face or his name or his intentions. But he was completely intoxicated by the witch’s aura and maybe a little bit mesmerized by him. What did he sound like? Did he have any passion? Any interests? Any obsessions? Keith wanted to see him one more time. He had to, or he would definitely go insane.

“Your Highness?” Keith’s eyes rolled against Adam’s straight silhouette in the middle of the throne’s room. A concerned shadow tainted his expression. “Do you need anything? Is your Highness not feeling well?”

Even for a man with a stature as important as Adam, interrupting a meeting in front of the King could cost him a lot. Maybe it was the reason why Keith saw Shiro tense from the corner of his eyes. But the King remained silent, a sign for Keith to answer the question.

“There is nothing to be concerned about, Sir Adam. I apologize for my lack of concentration.” Keith answered, reluctant. He hated to address Adam in a formal manner. But in front of his father, he could not make any more mistakes.

“Fine,” Keith heard behind him. It was his father, and based on his tone, Keith could tell King Akira was not ‘fine’. “Now that this matter is settled, please let us hear your request.”

The King’s intervention made the few whispers circulating in the room muffle until they completely disappeared. Adam bowed as an apology for his disrespect, returning to his knightly duty. But soon enough a man standing near him began to talk, panic lacing his speech.

“My Lord, I am deeply sorry to importunate you… but I-” the subject stuttered, his quivering making it hard for him to talk. “I was hunting in the woods last night. I know I shouldn’t have been in the forest during the night but you know how life can be hard for a poor man with mouths to feed, so I-”

“Make it short.” Akira sighed, looking down upon the man as if he were a bug on his shoe.

“My deepest apologies, My Lord…” the man stammered, visibly confused. “I saw a witch searching for a prey. I wasn’t sure at first but I saw their monstrous purple eyes piercing the dark.”

The man shook, Keith watching as he recalled the memories in absolute terror.

“I heard a strange whistling followed by an enchanting voice… I heard them clearly, almost screaming in my ears. Their scent was invading my head, I thought I was going to-”

The man interrupted himself, trying to not let his emotions overwhelm his mind while his announcement triggered a bunch of reactions in the room. They were so loud the King had to demand silence.

“A witch…” Akira murmured. “The few witches still alive usually avoid Marmora. Were you near the frontiers of the Kingdom?”

“Yes My Lord!” the man exclaimed, no hesitation. “It was near the lake’s area. I was lucky enough to be near a hollow tree where I could hide before reaching my home place.”

Keith startled at the words.

“Near the lake? What did the witch look like?”

Once again, the reaction attracted everyone’s full attention, and Keith heard Shiro whisper his name as a call to order. But he paid no mind. He was too terrified that the witch they were aiming at was the one who captured his heart some days ago.

The man seemed troubled for a second, but he ended up answering.

“I don’t exactly remember, Your Highness. I was too scared to think clearly. But I do remember their whole body and face were covered by a rough beige coat.”

Keith calmed down when he heard the answer. It was not the witch he had met. It was not his witch.  
But even if they were not aiming for the witch Keith had seen, the army would probably want to search the lake in the forest and find their prey and the one Keith was searching for. The thought was enough to worry him about his father’s decision.

“The lake is around an hour away from the Kingdom, but by horse we could reach it in a couple of minutes,” Adam suggested, already coming up with a strategy. “But bringing horses might be too loud for the capture of a witch.”

Keith detailed Adam’s expression, his declaration bringing respect all around him. Even Akira listened to his statement carefully, it was not a mission that should be taken lightly.

“I see,” Akira started, imposing a heavy silence before continuing. “Then we should not lose time and prepare the expedition as of now.”

The decision was not a surprise for Keith, neither for anyone present in the throne’s room. Witches were most of the time found in the heart of Marmora, either while penetrating the kingdom to steal food and items, or because they were children who did not abandon their power. When an intervention was needed outside the frontiers, a battalion was sent to explore the area and chase after the witches. Such actions were only organized when an immediate danger happened, or when an individual had disappeared without leaving any trace. But expeditions were more and more rare as the witches slowly expired in the kingdom. Almost all the children gave up on their power, and the rest were executed. People in Marmora knew the witches now preferred to go far from the kingdom that had become their hell.

“I will head the expedition, My Lord.” Adam declared, keeping his straight posture as people were staring at him.

Since Zarkon’s invasion six years ago, Adam had been pushed into a forced retirement. His popularity among the people and the army allowed him to remain the Chief of the Army, yet his role was to stay inside the frontiers no matter what. It was too dangerous for him to be part of the front lines with his injuries. King Akira was not bothered by it, rather he was a tactician weighing the pros and cons of his next move, no heart in his decisions. He was aware of the symbolic importance Adam represented for his soldiers and his subjects. If Adam was to die, everyone would be affected. The grief caused by his death would end up being an obstacle for the army’s strength. Fortunately, Akira’s answer did not sit for long, a chuckle echoing in reply to the knight’s proposition.

Only one person had enough impertinence to laugh at the Chief of the Army, and Keith saw Adam grimace in annoyance.

“The King would not send a weak one-eyed man to lead us, Adam.” Keith’s eyes focused on Sendak.

Standing upright behind Adam, his traits were marked by malice. Like all the soldiers, Sendak wore armor adorned by Marmora’s symbol. He was part of the few knights with the highest rank, yet, his pride and greed made him crave for more. It was no secret that without Adam, Sendak would be directing Marmora’s army. Sendak did not bother hiding his disdain, casting envious glares at Adam, his hatred for the knight consuming his blackened heart. Adam’s unstable situation brought him an elation he never tried to hide.

“It is Sir Adam for you, Sendak,” Shiro said, his words ringing with a tint of contempt.

Keith quickly glanced at his brother, Shiro wishing nothing more than to cut Sendak down. But he did not move, their father watching them closely.

“My deepest apologies, Your Majesty,” Sendak responded, gritting his teeth.

Sendak’s hatred and jealousy were the few of many reasons why Keith, Shiro and Adam despised the man. Sendak was not serving the kingdom’s safety. He had another purpose, maybe money, maybe power, maybe both. But what he wanted was not an honest, nor justifiable cause. However, his rude nature did not give him an advantage, all the soldiers fearing Sendak rather than respecting him. Adam on the contrary was recognized for his altruism and genuine determination.

“Sir Sendak,” Akira started, bringing silence to the room. “It seems like you made my son upset. As much as I respect you, it is necessary for all my soldiers to have some discipline.”

“My Lord,” Sendak began, frustration flashing in his eyes. “I did not mean to-”

“But you are right. I cannot take the risk to send Sir Adam ahead of the mission.”

“My Lord, I can-” Adam was not able to finish, the King interrupting him with a simple movement of the hand.

Akira was not someone to accept conflict, and his gesture was proof enough Adam had gone too far. Adam’s passion had always been to explore. As a kid, he was raised in an orphanage, with no past and no family. He learned to live with nothing, his only occupation was to participate in the orphanage’s tasks. But Adam became fascinated by the knights that passed through the kingdom, walking like the heroes of their country. Unlike him, they were able to live thousand adventures outside. He always dreamed of said life, admiring from afar the great knights fighting to save those who could not defend themselves.

Keith never heard a lot about Adam’s past, even Shiro only knew the bare essentials. Everything started the day Queen Krolia decided to take Adam under her wing, offering him a place in the young royal guard. His skills as a fighter were evident when he was using his sword during training. Some said he was naturally talented, others thought he had spent years practicing in the shadows. Adam never said which version was true, but from that day he went from a poor orphan no one ever heard about to one of the greatest knights of his time. Working twice as hard to be worthy of the dream Adam grazed with fingertips, Keith grew up seeing Adam’s eyes fired up by the desire to protect the kingdom that offered him everything. But it all became useless, for one day Adam was told he could not go on exploration missions ever again. His dream was shattered right before his eyes and he had to accept it, regardless of the misery consuming him. People considered Adam as a hero who was once able to fight the witch Haggar during the Cursed Day, but to Adam it marked the destruction of his long sought out dream.

“Sir Adam,” Akira said, cold and brimmed with ice. “You, more than any soldiers present in this room, should know witches are a threat to us. You are our best element, sending you for an exploration mission could cause your end. Do you understand what I’m saying, Sir Adam?”

“I do, but—” Adam was again interrupted by Akira’s sigh, a sure sign Adam’s reluctance was not appreciated.

“Shiro.” Akira said, a call for his son to take care of the situation.

Keith hated when his father used his condescending attitude against Adam. And looking at his brother Keith could tell it sparked no pleasure for him, especially when Shiro was called out to oppose his right hand man, having to disappoint a begging, heartbroken Adam.

“It is too dangerous,” Shiro declared, Adam’s frustration becoming more apparent as amusement broke Sendak’s lips. “We almost lost you once, Sir Adam. It won’t happen twice.”

“Right…” Adam whispered. The rejection weighing in on him. Shiro was the one person Adam could not openly contest. “Then I will at least propose my services to prepare the expedition, My Lord.”

Akira scanned Adam with a touch of irritation. He did not like it when his soldiers were claiming too much power. But Adam was untouchable at the moment, even for the King.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Shiro answered, getting everyone’s attention. “Even if Sir Adam is not qualified for expeditions anymore, we all know he is our best strategist.”

Adam stared at Shiro from his position, the two men sharing a silent yet meaningful eye gaze.

“For more than five years Marmora has been in peace. We used to send battalions aboard, to fight for other kingdoms. To bring foreign merchandise or to chase witches remaining in the forest. But since the Cursed Day, we limited our expeditions. We closed the kingdom, only allowing hawkers and eventually foreign royal families to visit us.”

Listening to Shiro, Keith realized all the people in the room quietly agreed. He made a good point: Marmora was not as open as it used to be.

Throughout Marmora’s History, there was never a time when an invader tried to get their hands on the kingdom. Marmora was not a good strategic place to occupy. It was in the middle of a forest full of witches, surrounded by mountains, and isolated from the rest of the world. It was not an interesting area to fight for. The only wars Marmora ever knew, and thus even at the time of Daibazaal, were civil wars.

For those reasons, Marmora was also an amazing country to be allied with. They used to have numerous alliances, sending armies into other countries to help those who signed a concord with Marmora. But little by little things started to change. Keith had no memories of those times, but from what he heard, when Queen Krolia died the kingdom began to limit exchanges and treaties.

And after the Cursed Day, it became worse. King Akira decided that a gateway to the world was less important than Marmora’s safety. Nowadays, expeditions were extremely rare and new soldiers had no experience with the world beyond the walls.

If Akira was for reinforcing the kingdom’s ramparts, then Shiro’s very own policy was to reopen Marmora to the world. It was their single, yet largest disagreement from one king to another.  
“What is your point?” Akira asked, annoyed.

“We haven’t set out on such an important expedition for years, and Sir Adam is part of the unit with plenty of experience. It would only make sense to leave the duty to the Chief of the Army. If he can’t go, he can at least organize it.”

Shiro never diverted his eyes from Adam, as if he was trying to read through him while everyone seemed to whisper their own opinion about the topic.

“If I may pronounce myself, My Lord, I’ve also been part of several expeditions in the past. I have more experience than A—” Sendak interrupted himself, clearing his throat to hide his stutter. “—than Sir Adam. I could organize and lead the expedition, in my opinion, it would make more sense.”

Hearing his input, Adam remained silent. He was aware it would be the easiest way to go, but Sendak was a terrible tactician. Entrusting him the whole mission would be a fruitless risk. Still, Adam preferred to stay silent than to add anything, aware he had already stepped out of line enough. As a soldier, he must remain mindful and respect the King’s decision.

“Tell me Sir Sendak…” Shiro spoke from his throne, piercing Sendak with a sharp glare from his higher seat. “Are you the Chief of the Army?”

His remark launched stifled snickers in the room, even bringing a smile on Akira and Keith’s lips. Sendak tightened his grip, lowering his eyes to not expose his poorly concealed flash of anger. His crave for power, his jealousy for Adam’s role, his hypocrisy towards the royal family, Shiro could see it all through Sendak’s heart.

“I am not, Your Majesty.”

“Thought so.” Shiro murmured, shooting Sendak a dirty look.

“But you are still an amazing soldier, Sir Sendak,” Akira declared, tired of the long meeting. “We will then let Sir Adam prepare the expedition. Sir Sendak, you will be the one leading it. When will the expedition be organized, Sir Adam?”

“I will need at least one night to decide who should accompany Sir Sendak and the way we should proceed,” Adam explained, already starting to think about different plans for the expedition. “We must act as quickly as possible though. I will prepare everything for tomorrow night.”

Adam’s answer created a wave of discussion all around the throne’s room. Some were contesting the decision, considering the situation too dangerous to not move tonight. Others worked to defend Adam’s choice, understanding the importance of carefully plotting an expedition of such magnitude.  
On the other hand, Keith was stunned on his throne, thousands of thoughts crossing his mind since the moment the expedition date had been proposed. Tomorrow night, a whole battalion would be sent into the woods to storm the majestic lake sleeping by the mountains’ feet. In the forest, soldiers would be able to find a dangerous witch reported by one of the subjects. But they would also run into another witch, an innocent soul hidden deep in the otherworldly environment. And this witch was the one Keith felt the urge to protect.

“Enough!” Akira’s voice exploded in the throne room, his booming voice demanding silence as it echoed off the walls. “The organizing of the expedition has been put into Sir Adam’s hands. Anyone contesting his orders is also contesting mine and those of my son.”

A heavy atmosphere reigned in the place. Keith even saw Sendak shiver in reaction to the King. If there was something Keith would forever admit about his father, it was his incredible ability to impose respect and fear in anyone’s heart.

“Also,” Akira started again, giving Adam a warning look. “If the mission ends up being a failure, we will know who to hold accountable.”

“Father, you—” Shiro was shut down by a simple hand sign. The King had spoken, and if the witch was not caught during the expedition, a sanction as high as the misstep caused would be inflicted to Adam.

Shiro had his eyes trained on Adam’s silhouette, trying to read what the knight was thinking and silently praying for him to know what he was doing. As Adam kneeled before them, placing his fist on his heart as a sign of deep respect, immense anxiety blew inside Shiro’s chest.

“I won’t fail,” Adam claimed, full of determination. “You have my words, My Lord.”

“Good,” a satisfied smirk appeared on Akira’s lips. “Then this concludes our exchange. Sir Adam, you have a lot of work to do.”

The man who came for the request immediately expressed his gratitude to the King before being led towards the outside of the room by two soldiers. The closure of their exchange had announced the end of the meetings and all the courtiers eventually started to leave the throne room.

Though Keith had never considered these sessions of requests of importance to him, for the first time in his life he was thankful to be forced to be present. With the information Keith gained, he knew what he had to do. Tonight once again, he would go to the forest and try to meet the witch. He had to, or else something terrible could happen to him.

“Keith, Shiro,” Akira pronounced their names with weight. “I would like to talk to you alone. Especially you, Keith.”

The brothers shared a look. They did not need to ask the reason for their sudden convening, both knew their father was irritated due to their behavior. The few guards still present in the room understood the implicit order given by their king, quietly leaving the room after saluting their majesties.

Once only the three royal members remained in the throne room, Akira stood up, stepping down the stairs to face Keith, who remained in his seat. Shiro observed the scene, slowly joining them and a wariness ebbed its way in his head.

When Shiro saw Akira raising his hand to Keith, a madness shrouding his normally stoic face and the Prince flinching by surprise, Shiro moved to stop his father. His voice was ready to break the loud silence around them, his hand about to reach out and cease the assault.

But he did not have to, for Akira stopped himself, the hysteria fading away into deep discontent. His hand glided to the Prince’s cheek, as if he were about to cradle it.

“You look too much like your mother,” the King said, grabbing his son’s chin instead, forcing Keith to look in his eyes. “But you’re nothing like her. She was strong and wise. You are just weak and useless, Keith.”

Keith never broke eye contact. Even though he was terrified, he would not give him the pleasure of seeing it. He straightened up and sharpened his tongue, pure defiance meeting discipline. His father pressed down on his jaw, a shiver coursing down Keith’s spine.

“You’re right,” Keith murmured, his heart beating like crazy. “I inherited those from you, father.”

A grin stretched across Akira’s lips. Keith was not fooled by his father's play. He could see how he looked down on him, how he despised him, how he only considered Keith as a substitute if Shiro was to die. Keith had no memories of his father showing him any sign of love. To him, Keith was a mere puppet.

Akira loosened his grip before freeing Keith, the boy immediately passing a hand on his jaw due to the pain.

“I don’t even need to try anything to ruin your life, Keith,” Akira echoed as he walked away from his son, back turned as he made it to the middle of the room. “I don’t care if you are happy or not. The freedom you are claiming for, I will never give it to you. What you desire doesn’t interest me as long as you do what your little and boring existence is supposed to. And in case you forgot, you only exist to obey me. Now if you want to leave the kingdom and be free, you can. I won’t hold you back. But what will you do once you’re outside? You have nothing out there.”

As his father’s words rattled in the wide space, shame took hold of Keith. His father was right. He could leave, it was not as if he was locked in the kingdom. But some invisible chains were stopping him. Marmora was the only country Keith had ever known. He had no money, no goods, no friends outside of the kingdom. And there was Shiro, the brother who understood Keith more than anyone else. The one person who would be there for Keith and keep him company during his worst days.  
He could not leave, not yet.

“I think Keith got the message, father.” Shiro said, standing by his brother's side and putting his hand on Keith’s shoulder.

Akira’s gaze slipped towards his sons, both protected by the stare of Krolia’s statue. The King sighed, turning his back to the setting as he could not face the look of the woman he loved.

“Then if he did, I want for him to get out of here, right now.”

Keith wanted to protest, not because he wanted to stay, but because he could not let his father win so easily. Yet, when Shiro’s clasp strengthened on his shoulder as a signal for Keith to not push it, Keith remained silent.

He had something else to do anyway. If he wanted to reach the lake at night, Keith had to prepare himself quickly.

Slowly, Keith walked towards the door to leave the prison he had been forced to stay into for hours. Before passing the exit, he glanced at Akira one last time, rummaging through the cruelty to find an essence of the loving father Shiro used to describe him. But there was no such thing. Maybe it was because Keith had no memories of his past. Maybe it was because Akira did not love him. Either way, Keith did not find an ounce of soft fatherly care in his icy complexion.

When the door slammed, Shiro let a moment of silence pass before speaking. He hated himself for not being able to defend Keith more than what he had done. But as the future king, he was blocked.

“Don’t you think you were a bit too harsh on him, father?” Shiro asked, his eyes moving to Akira’s silhouette. The king stood there, focused on one of the stained glass portraits by Krolia’s image.

“And don’t you think you were a bit too kind?” Akira replied, meeting his son’s gaze. “Unlike that punk I raised you right, Takashi. And it was not by showing you love or kindness.”

For Akira to use Shiro’s first name was not common. Shirogane was Krolia’s last name. Like his brother, Takashi had inherited their father’s name: Kogane. However, when the Queen died Akira decided Takashi’s king name would be in memory of their mother. And the whole kingdom started to use the title, including Keith, who saw through the name as a symbol of respect towards his mother. No one would ever call Shiro with his real name. Almost no one. And when Akira called Shiro with his first name instead of his king name, it was to not be overwhelmed by the memories attached to Krolia.

“He did not have an easy life,” Shiro said, joining his father in front of the picture. “We have to be there for him, this is what mother would have wished for too.”

“I can see you are spending too much time with Adam, you say the same nonsense as he does,” a light laugh escaped from Akira. “You all are too naïve. If Keith was not so weak and disrespectful he would not have disappeared for five days and he would not have lost his memory. The world is not a safe place, if you start to be kind to others and to care for them, you will lose more than what you’ve earned.”

“You say he is weak but without Keith none of us would have been able to defeat Zarkon.”

“Indeed,” Akira whispered, focusing on his son. “The least he could do for this kingdom and for you, is to die for it. As he should have back then.”

His father’s statement sent a subtle pain in Shiro’s heart. Keith was dear to him, a brother who made him believe in freedom. Who could make him laugh when he thought his only duty was to maintain a serious, stone mask and never be himself. Shiro cared for Keith so much the thought of him not by his side broke his heart. To hear their own father had no consideration towards Keith was something Shiro could not stand.

“No life should be used as a sacrifice…” he murmured, eyes sliding to a statue representing a knight kneeled.

“Again, you’re spending too much time with Adam,” Akira answered, watching his son focus on the statue. “You were defending him a lot today. Almost contesting my words in order to please his desires, am I wrong?”

“He is our best element,” he answered, looking back at his father. “He arrested umpteenth witches, directed numerous expeditions, and fought by several foreign countries’ sides. Adam almost killed Honerva in the past, obviously his opinion is important.”

Akira hummed, turning his back to his son, facing the three thrones shadowing the room.

“Adam has too much power, too much popularity. You are giving him a freedom and a spot no king would allow a knight. I won’t say anything since you two have been friends for so long, and your mother seemed to care for him. But don’t forget you and I made a deal, Takashi.”

Shiro lowered his eyes. It was a warning. Akira did not appreciate the privileged treatment Shiro gave to Adam.

“I said what needed to be said. Do you have anything you want to add, Shiro?”

“No,” he replied, staring at his father. “I do not.”

“Fine. Then you are dismissed.”

Without a word, Shiro bowed, his father paying no mind as he walked out of the room. The instant he closed the door behind him, ending the unbearable exchange, a long sigh escaped from his mouth.

Shiro was exhausted. He would love to be the future king and to work hard enough in the place of the people he wanted to protect. But with his father still reigning, his freedom was limited.

A thought struck him as Shiro crossed the castle’s endless corridors, reaching the first floor leading to the courtyard. Even though Shiro had to obey Akira, there was something wrong with the way witches were treated. Shiro knew more than anyone else how cruel his father was, and the witches’ treatment was a topic he wished he could discuss with his father without the issue of terrible consequences.  
They both made a deal, and if Shiro wanted for his part of the contract to be respected, he had to follow Akira’s steps.

“Took you long enough.” Shiro heard from afar before noticing Adam. His back was against the wall, arms crossed, and brows frozen in a scowl.

“Hey,” he replied, walking towards Adam. “Were you waiting for me—”

Shiro did not have the time to finish his question as Adam grabbed his wrist, leading him to the backyard and closed the door behind them.

The backyard was the humblest place in the whole castle. It was one of the few parts of the castle that was not preserved since no one ever passed the area. It was why when Shiro’s back was pressed against the wall, Adam staring at him with wild eyes, it did not take long for the crown prince to understand they were to have a private talk.

Adam had his palm on Shiro’s chest, pushing him a bit to make sure he would stay still. Gently, Shiro let his arm fall down, passing his hand on Adam’s hip.

“Well, hello there… I didn’t know you were so—”

“Why didn’t you let me go on the expedition?”

As Adam spoke, a touch of disappointment pierced Shiro’s chest. It was foolish of him to think Adam would have stepped back that easily.

“Isn’t the answer obvious? It’s not as if I could let you go anyway.” Annoyed, Shiro pushed away Adam’s hand, locking eyes with the knight boiling with rage.

“No it’s not obvious,” he spat, glaring at Shiro. “Sending me would have been better than sending Sendak. You know how he is, he just wants to kill and give orders. What if they cross paths with someone who’s not the target? Do you think Sendak will give it much thought? He won’t, and you know it. The man is dangerous.”

“Sendak may be a swine, but there was no way I could let you go on the expedition.”

“You could have!” Adam exclaimed, becoming frustrated. “You just refused to go against your father, but you are the next king, you have the right to give your own opinions.”

“And it was my own opinion,” Shiro sighed, rubbing his eyes as Adam desperately searched for a semblance of deception from him. A sign he was on Adam’s side. “Look, the mission is too dangerous. Your skills are limited and you’re already lucky to still be the Chief of the Army. You take care of the organization and Sendak will lead the expedition. End of the talk.”

“No ‘end of the talk’. I’m trusting you with all my heart, so what am I supposed to do when you don’t trust me back?”

The talk was taking a route Shiro hated. How many times will the two of them have these kinds of fights? Adam was passionate about his work, and it was true sending him on the expedition was something he would still be able to do. But Shiro could not disobey his father, and more than that, he did not have the heart to let Adam go on the mission.

“I trust you, more than anyone else in the castle,” Shiro said, deep and quiet. He searched Adam’s brown and white eyes for understanding. “I just can’t let you go this time. You went to war so many times. You used to meet death every day of your life, traveling so far I was never sure if you would make it back. You almost died once, don’t you think it’s time for you to stop making me worry?”

A silence settled between them. Adam’s war wounds were too damaging, too limiting if he was to pursue his former career. At least he could still work for the army, he could still prepare the new generations and he could stay by Shiro’s side.

“I think it’s time for you to stop shoving your feelings into my work, Takashi,” Adam said, low and aimed to hurt. Shiro’s chest ached as he walked away, unable to be heard. “You speak as if I was the one who made you cry for days. But it was me who waited for you after Zarkon died. It was me who prayed every day for you to wake up and not die like an idiot. You say you’re worried about me? Well, start by letting me do my job. If I can’t protect you I want to at least protect your people.”

Adam was not wrong. After Zarkon was defeated, Shiro spent days unconscious. His wounds were serious to the point even the doctors were unable to guarantee he would awaken from his coma-like state. The first person Shiro saw as he opened his eyes was Adam. A huge scar was crossing his pretty face and tears were rolling down his cheeks. The devotion Adam had towards him, Shiro could never find it with anyone else. For that reason, he could never put Adam in danger. He could not lose him.

“I’m sorry, Adam… I can’t.”

“Right. Then I guess we’re done here.”

Shiro did not try to stop him from leaving. It was not the first time they disagreed on the topic, and it would not be the last. But ending their talks on a sour note was never something Shiro felt okay in the slightest.

Alone in the backyard, everything was incredibly peaceful, unlike the storm brewing in his gut. For some reason he did not have the heart to go back inside the castle and face his role again. It was tiring, especially when he could not find comfort by Adam’s side. Shiro exhaled, ready to let himself externalize all the pressure weighing on him; destroying him. Yet, before he could do anything, he heard a noise coming from the door. The sudden entrance startled him, for no one was supposed to pass by the backyard.

When he looked up towards the silhouette of the person trying to sneak out of the castle, Shiro was not surprised to find Keith in front of him.

From the dumb expression Keith had plastered on, Shiro could tell he did not imagine crossing his brother’s path.

Awkward silence passed, both of the brothers staring each other down. Slowly, Keith began to close the door, retreating back inside the castle as if nothing happened. It got on Shiro’s nerves.

“What do you think you’re doing here?”

Keith stopped, hearing his brother’s suspicion. For once in his life he wished Shiro did not notice him.

“And what do you think you’re doing here?” Keith answered, perfectly aware of his own bad attempt at feigning innocence.

“Don’t you dare avoid my question by asking me the same question,” Shiro demanded, forcing Keith to come back. “Now I’m waiting. What are you doing here?”

“I… wanted to enjoy the courtyard since it is such a beautiful and sunny day.” Keith could not hold Shiro’s look, trying to avoid his all too analytical stare.

“Oh really? Well the courtyard is on the opposite side. Here is the backyard, nowhere near where you should be.”

“No, I wanted to go to the backyard, I really love this… beautiful… garden…” the Prince said, looking around to find nothing but an unsightly bush no one bothered to prune for years.

“Keith.”

The way Shiro said his name was controlled yet strict. Keith detested when his brother used that tone, it only reminded him of their father. Though, unlike Akira, he could find in Shiro’s pupils a light of comfort and concern, making it hard to remain silent.

“Fine! I was going to the forest…” he said, mumbling the last part. Dying sounded excellent right about now.

“Are you stupid? Weren’t you present this morning? There is a witch wandering in those woods and you want to go there? Have you lost your mind?”

“There always were witches there, one less or one more won’t hurt me.”

Based on the way Shiro frowned, Keith could tell his answer did not satisfy him. Shiro was not blind, he could see Keith’s round trip between the castle and the forest dancing in the back of his head. However, it was too much for Shiro to handle. Not again. The woods were unsafe, and to let Keith risk his life every day was fatal for Shiro’s stress.

“I’m done. I’ll tell the guard to lock you in your room.”

“Shiro, please don’t,” Shiro focused back to his brother, noticing a shadow of fear cross Keith’s face. “This time, only for this time, please let me go.”

Before the desperate expression Keith gave him, a second of doubt crossed Shiro’s mind. For Keith to beg Shiro hopelessly was not a common situation.

“Give me one good reason to not stop you from going.”

Keith faced his brother. Thousands of thoughts were running in his mind as he tried to figure out what he could tell and what should never be revealed. Keith knew Shiro’s heart, he could trust him no matter what. But his choice of words and his persuasion skills would determine the survival of an innocent living being.

“I met a witch in the woods some days ago.”

“Right.” Shiro immediately answered, ready to leave. He was tired of all the nonsense. “That is one good reason to never let you leave this damn castle ever again.”

“No, Shiro, it’s not what you think. He is not like other witches.”

“What do you mean he is not like other witches?” Shiro whirled around, furious and unable to understand the recklessness and idiocy running through Keith’s head. “What do you know about him?”  
“I… don’t know a lot, but he did not hurt me. He was… different, I could feel it.”

Shiro sighed. Keith had to have lost his senses. It explained not only Keith’s recent long absences at night, but also about his questions regarding witches’ cruel nature.

“His aura makes you say those things,” Shiro muttered, remembering the disgusting, overwhelming scent of Zarkon’s aura. “It’s a trap and it’s dangerous. There is no way I will let you go.”

“It’s not a trap! I know it is not…” the Prince was desperate. It was his only chance to save the witch and to warn him about the expedition. He could not let it go, especially since Sendak of all people will be leading the inevitable mob. “I know you’re worried, Shiro. But I need to go. He is not the witch you are searching for, trust me. I just want to tell him to not venture out the night of the expedition.”

Keith’s large, begging shadowy orbs tortured Shiro. There was never a time when Shiro did not support Keith, doing his best to trust each word from him because he knew he could forever count on his little brother. Yet, when Keith implored Shiro with such a request, he could not find the right answer. He wanted to believe Keith as much as he wanted to protect him, to have faith in his gut, though Shiro’s anxiety sored through the roof. Regardless of what he desperately wanted, Shiro did not want to disappoint Keith the same way he had done with Adam.

“And what if he knows the other witch and tells them about the expedition? Do you realize if the hunt is a failure Adam will have to pay for it?”

Shiro explained, trying one last time to dissuade Keith from going into the forest.

“Please… Just this time, Shiro. I swear it will be the last time, but for tonight at least I really need to go.”

It was a lie. Shiro was perfectly aware Keith would never be able to give up on the tiny freedom he still had, the forest was a blessing for him, a curse for Shiro. Though, Shiro saw how honest Keith was with his desire to run into the forest tonight more than any other night. Going against his will would be a betrayal to Keith. If there was one thing Shiro could not handle, it was to be hated by his only brother.  
“Okay,” Shiro gave in, already regretting his answer. “But you swore. This is the last time.”

Keith stared at his brother, the lie playing on his tongue becoming sour; putrid, difficult to acknowledge and swallow. He did not want to lie to Shiro, but even with all the will in the world it was not something Keith could promise. The forest was Keith’s second home, it was a huge area filled with dreams and allowing him to bare the castle a little bit more everyday. And with the witch he had found in there, flooding Keith’s thoughts like water filling the lungs of a shipwreck, it was impossible for Keith to keep his promise. That is why, if it meant protecting the witch from an unfair death, Keith would lie to Shiro as much as he needed to.

“You have my word.”

\------------

The shining moon enlightened the star-covered sky, giving an enchanting atmosphere to the woods. Keith was fascinated by the beautiful setting, he once again crossed the forest in search of a certain witch. For ten days already he visited the forest in vain. His desire to find the witch haunting his thoughts had pushed Keith to believe in their reunion. Yet this time, things were different. Keith had to meet the witch. Not to quell the fire consuming his good judgement, but to protect a life. It was somewhat absurd to wish for a witch to live when Keith knew nothing about him. Still, for some unknown reason Keith’s heart pleaded for him to do something. For that, he had to let the witch know about the expedition settled for the following night.

In the heart of the woods, Keith could not think of any other place to search than the lake where he met the witch the first time. Even if he had tried going back there on multiple occasions without ever finding the witch, it was Keith’s only chance. He had waited for the night to reach the peak time the witch would appear. What remained for him to do was to wait for the witch as long as he needed to, even if it meant going back to the castle as sunrise approached.

As Keith continued his trek, he found a weeping willow, its greenery shimmering in the moonlight. Behind it Keith noticed an immense floor of water and beyond that, towering majestic mountains. He took a deep breath, praying to whatever superior existence willing to hear his exhausted plea. All he wanted was to cross the witch’s path and warn him not to come out as the witch hunt spread throughout the once peaceful territory.

Hand carefully stroking the falling branch of the immense tree, Keith’s chest throbbed when he moved aside the natural curtain. The landscape was as breathtaking as ever, but not as much as the silhouette standing in front of the mirror of water. The witch was there, capturing the night lights and drawing his own galaxy over his shiny skin, making the view absolutely unique.

Keith could not move, stuck some meters away staring at the witch’s back. He did not turn towards Keith, enraptured by the calling moon. He wore the same clothes as when they met, glittering under the moon’s power and absorbing each magical particle like an angel holding the glow of heaven.

There was no time to lose, Keith had to warn the witch while he could, but something was stopping him. It was hard to breathe, words impossible and his tongue still. His thoughts were filled with the witch’s aura, drowning his consciousness in an unexplainable passion. After dreaming about the witch for days, Keith had found him, and the idea of being close to the source of his fantasies was driving the Prince mad.

“I’m getting tired of your presence,” the witch said. His voice sounded oddly familiar, though Keith could not place his finger on where he heard it before. It was soft and controlled, triggering a wistful sensation in Keith’s body. “Are you here to try killing me again?”

Keith’s eyes widened as the witch turned around, letting the Prince see his sparkling purple gaze. The witch was different from what he remembered. The real sight of his poisonous presence was more impressive than the figure invading Keith’s dreams, thoughts and memories. It was strange, but Keith felt like he had missed him. As if he was meeting an old friend again when he knew nothing about the creature standing in front of him.

“No,” the Prince answered, slightly offended. “Of course not…”

“Then leave,” the witch’s glare deepened, his brows furrowing and his eyes igniting with a fire. For some reason, he resented Keith despite the two only having one altercation. “You’ve come here every night for ten days. I’m getting tired of having to hide from you every night.”

“You noticed?”

The witch chuckled, and even though he was mocking him, Keith could not help but find his tiny laugh adorable.

“You’re not very discreet,” the witch diverted his stone cold gaze. “I can always feel your presence, especially when I focus on any threat around me.”

“I’m not a threat.” Keith stated, trying his best to have the witch understand he would never hurt him.

“Says the one who tried to attack me last time,” the witch said dryly, turning his back to Keith. He walked closer to the lake dipping his foot in the clear water. “And even if you were not, what makes you think I am not a threat for you? I am a witch after all.”

Glowing marks painted on his body, Keith could not help but stare at the wonderful witch standing before him. Was the witch aware of how desirable he was? The Prince slowly approached him, using all his strength to not get too close. Keith did not want to scare the witch.

“I’m not scared of you…” Keith declared quietly. “On the contrary.”

The witch did not reply immediately, his stare fixed on the moon, as if he was trying to find comfort in its light.

“Then you must be stupid. Don’t you know how witches restore their energy?” he asked, focusing coldly on Keith again. “For you, I am a predator. My touch can suck your life out and turn your soul into pure nothingness. By doing so, I would find all the energy I need and even more, gaining an abundance of power to where I could destroy many other lives.”

The witch stepped away from the lake’s hold, walking closer to Keith, allowing the Prince to have a better view of his beautiful silhouette. The marks on the witch’s body weakly gleamed, coloring his tan skin like twinkling diamonds encrusted in a golden jewel. The veil covering half of the witch’s face trailed his movements, waving with the occasional draught and shaking plumes of his white hair. The Prince found him stunning.

“You are easy prey for me. I could kill you right here, right now and trap more humans thanks to your sacrifice.”

“Then why don’t you do it already?” Keith’s questioned, soft as a dove’s wing, eyes devouring the witch.

“Because I always enchant my prey while hunting to make sure they won’t suffer or remember anything. But, no human can be bewitched twice at the same time. It is one of our few limits.”

The answer given by the witch did not shed light on anything, confusing Keith more than he was before he came. There was a lot humans still did not know about witches, many questions left unanswered and a lack of understanding due to the two species not living the same way. With the small bit of information the witch fed the Prince, Keith realized just how clueless humanity truly was over the beings they feared.

“But you could steal my energy even without enchanting me, right?” Keith asked, obtaining nothing but silence from the witch. “You could even kill me so I wouldn’t be a burden to you. Why don’t you do it?”

“I…” the witch started, cutting himself off as he debated on what he wanted to expose. “I don’t want to kill people…”

“It’s because of that,” Keith took another step towards the witch, bringing them so close he started to lose himself in those purple eyes. “I have no reason to fear you.”

The Prince muttered, gently caressing one of the white strands escaping from the witch’s cap. Keith was out of his mind. There was a burning passion in his soul he could not stop, the attraction so powerful his own thoughts were uncontrollable; a fire lit aflame with no sign of ceasing.

The sweet moment did not last long as the witch grabbed Keith’s wrist, shooting the Prince a dirty look. He did not appreciate his touch.

“Don’t act full of yourself. I don’t care about your trust or stupid affection. I don’t want to have anything to do with you and I will never reciprocate your poor interest. So disappear already and don’t you dare come back here.”

As the witch spat back at him and ripped himself away from Keith, the Prince’s reason for coming to the lake resurfaced. He came here to warn the witch, not to lose time on some indescribable feelings. Keith watched as the witch began to leave, fleeing into the shadows of magic and mystery. If Keith let him get away, he would not have a second chance to warn him about the doom heading his way.

“No wait, I came here to—”

“Didn’t the royal family teach the little Prince to shut his damn mouth?” The witch growled, sending an odd sensation through Keith’s body. There was something familiar in the way the witch had addressed him, but his mind was too overwhelmed by his aura to think clearly, as if he was half asleep. “I told you, I don’t want to have anything to do with you.”

Before Keith could protest, the witch drowned him under a huge quantity of water, manipulating the lake’s form with incredible dexterity and ease. Everything happened the same way it did the first time they met. The moment Keith opened his eyes— soaked by the witch’s sneak attack— the witch had disappeared into the night. He was alone, his heart torn as he came to realize he was never able to confide the witch in what lied for him come the break of dawn.

As droplets ran along his limbs, making his clothes heavy on his drenched skin, distress seized the Prince. Keith did not warn the witch and he was the only one to blame. The next day, the army would come and find the witch by the lake with a sentence worse than death. Especially with Sendak in charge. But Keith would not let that happen. No matter the risks he had to take, no matter the words he would have to use to convince the witch, Keith would come back and protect him from his own kingdom.

\------------

Lance could not stand it anymore. He walked through the forest, trying to restore as much energy as possible while also placing a good amount of distance between him and the stupid Prince. Far away from his personal hell. Thousands of thoughts flew through him a mile minute, each one containing Keith’s infuriating, yet riveting face.

The lake used to be Lance’s oasis of calm, the last spot where breathing was easy. Painless. Until Keith came along and destroyed everything. He had spent days avoiding the lake to make sure he would not cross Keith’s path. But once again, the little Prince did whatever he wanted. He had no idea how exhausting it was for Lance to hide and find a comforting space where he could accept the moon’s gift. Slowing his stride, his fury died down to a bitter cold dwelling in his heart. He did not have the will to run away like the first time, his simple wish was to live a peaceful moment without any fear. He did not want to remember the broken and pitiful past.

After Lance’s fuss at the training ten days ago, he had made the choice to ignore Keith. Lance stopped provoking him the way he used to do, silently praying for Keith to stay far away from him. But Keith had changed too. Besides the behavioral effects of Lance’s aura, Lance realized how Keith’s occasional glances burned into his skin. The damn little Prince would even smile at him.

Lance could tell Keith was doing his best to find the fragments of their lost friendship, desperately trying to fix them since their exchange at the bell tower. It was Lance’s fault after all, he should have stayed silent like he always did. But holding back his feelings never was an easy task, and it became worse the moment Keith found Lance in the middle of the forest. It was as if fate was trying to defy him. Lance had lived such nightmares already; he had been through so many ordeals without gaining anything in exchange. People easily said ‘what doesn't kill you makes you stronger’, but for Lance it was the opposite. What did not kill him was hurting him to the point he could not breathe anymore, the air poisoning his lungs and smothering him each second that ticked by. With obstacles piling atop of one another, Lance’s end was brought closer. Still, Lance continued to live, fighting the jinx unfairly thrust upon him. It was an immortal suffering, locking him up in a prison and never letting him go.

And when he hoped he could find some freedom in his loneliness, Keith appeared, tearing his heart apart. Lance had done everything he could to convince himself to hate the Prince, finding thousands reasons to be resentful. He had broken every piece of their past, had cut all the strings between them except one. He wanted to hate him so bad… but when Keith acted kind in front of Lance’s witch form and sought Lance's attention in his human form, the poor boy would sense a warmth long forgotten, travelling his whole body again. He could not stand it anymore.

Bare feet crushed the fresh silver grass of the night, Lance stopped when a dull sound reverberated from afar. His first thought was Keith had found him, annoying him to the extreme. Yet, as he concentrated on the shadow hiding not far from him, Lance realized the person crouched down was not Keith. Their body was covered by a long and plain beige cape, glowing dots of magic circling them. Paying closer attention, Lance noticed the intense marks over the person’s hands and arms poking out of their cloak. And below their hands was a corpse. A human corpse, completely emptied of vital energy.

It was such a shock Lance was at first confused, not quite understanding what he witnessed. A witch was hunting and they were not only taking enough vital energy to survive, they desired death.

Lance covered his mouth, holding back his breath in order not to be seen. He could not stay here, he had to run. But there was no safe place close to where he wandered off to, and returning to the lake could put Keith in danger if the Prince was still there. Lance could not simply bring a murderous witch to Keith, even if he could not stand him. He did not want him to die. Lance had to think fast. He had to hide.

As quietly as possible, Lance walked towards an immense tree, backing into its bark to hide from the other witch’s sight. Lance had to control his breathing, he could not let his emotions get ahead of him, or he would be dead meat. If he were to be found, Lance would surely not make it out of here alive. No one would know what happened to him, the witch taking careful measure to dispose of his body.

Minutes felt like hours, the mild wind whisking through the late night of Marmora swiftly became a chill. Lance’s chest was abnormally heavy, the wave of dread seizing his heart and squeezing it with its hands. He was losing his patience and for the first time in his life, the moonlight was too weak for him to fight the shadows of the demons lurking in the kingdom. Lance was alone, no help, no back up, no reassuring presence, he was completely isolated. Though his strength was weakening, he gripped onto the lingering patience and hope. He waited and waited, listening to the melodious silence of the woods. The moment Lance’s head was filled by the harmonious noises of the night, he knew the witch had left.

Lance inclined his neck a bit to verify, glimpsing the human’s still body on the ground and no witch around. Lance gulped, relieved for the moment to be over, but his guilt and fear snagged him as his purple orbs met the corpse. He should have made a move, he could have made a move. Yet, in front of a murder, his body was petrified and his limbs would not obey him. It was the first time Lance met another witch besides Lotor and Allura, and never had he considered an encounter to be gruesome; traumatic, burned into his shaken soul. He leaned back against the trunk, and closed his eyes, sighing with exhaustion. Everything was alright; he was alright. There was no witch anymore. He was alone.

Or so he thought. The moment he opened his eyes the ghastly face of the witch stood before him. Stared down at him. With their eyes crazed and skin the color of ash, Lance could tell he was a Dark Witch. Scars raked across the visage of corruption, their wounds infected and torn apart so bad Lance could not guess what they looked like without. Lance could not even tell how old the witch was, the madness twisting them both physically and internally, far off from the possibility of being cured.

“How surprising to find another witch in such a place… I thought Marmora had already killed everyone.” The witch said, his voice shaking, toing the line between glee and disturbance. 

He was analyzing Lance like he was pondering a poor and innocent animal. The Dark Witch slowly brought his palm over the boy’s neck, squeezing it a bit. It was not enough to choke Lance, but enough to prevent him from running away.

“But don’t worry my boy,” the witch cooed, a demented smile stretching his lips. “We soon will put an end to their reign as our savior Honerva prepares for her great return.”

Hearing the name of Haggar, Lance’s eyes widened. There was no way Honerva could be back. She had been defeated by Adam five years ago, left alone without any army or soldiers. She could not be back.

“Wh-what do you—” Lance made to finish his question but the witch tightened his grip around his neck, crushing what little speaking ability he had. The pressure may not be killing him, but any further is just may do the job.

“You know… I’m very weak at the moment,” the witch said as his marks glowed, fueling his magic. “Human vital energy is good, but a young witch like you would for sure give me enough strength to recover from all of my wounds.”

A shiver travelled through Lance’s spine. No, this could not be happening. He wanted to scream and call for help, but his voice was blocked as the witch’s hands strangled him, bringing tears in his fading purple eyes. The Dark Witch’s long nails dug in Lance’s skin, drops of blood leaking down the holes and onto his clothes.

Lance tried to find a way to struggle, but he could not. The witch’s grasp was too strong and the energy he was stealing from Lance sucked the life from the boy, approaching death’s door. Maybe it was his punishment for believing life would be better than the sorrow he was living. But he did not want to die. He wanted to see his mother one last time and tell her how much she meant to him, how much he could not have asked for a better mom than her. He wanted to thank Allura and Lotor for everything they had done for him, to laugh and joke with Hunk and Pidge, to let Adam know how much he admired him. And Keith… would he even care about his death?

As a picture of Keith passed through his mind, Lance felt the grip around his neck release. A crazy grin on his lips, the Dark Witch stepped back as if he was controlled by something. And indeed, right behind him, Lotor was standing, eyes narrowed into slits and his marks brighter than the moon itself.  
Allura was right beside him when she noticed Lance, who collapsed as soon as he was freed from the witch’s hold. She ran to him and kneeled, her eyes flooding with worry.

“Lance, oh good lord… stand still dear.” She said as the boy coughed, his throat burning. He might as well have drowned a bucket of full smoke, his body heaving and convulsing.

Lance worked to come back to reality, focusing on Allura’s comforting contact. A sudden chuckle echoed from the Dark Witch’s voice.

“Oh I know that magic… only the most brilliant ones have such a good control of those spells,” he said, still unable to move since Lotor maintained a concentrated grasp in his body. He showed no signs of breaking a sweat. “I don’t even need to see your face to know who you are. You’re just like your father.”

“Shut up.” Lotor snapped, his marks sparkling with his rage.

“Honerva would be so happy to see you, don’t you want to see her again?”

“That name means nothing to me,” Lotor replied, a hint of pain hitching his voice. “I have no idea who you are talking about.”

Lance was still on the ground, observing the scene with a mix of confusion. Based on Allura’s concerned expression, he could tell nothing good would come from their exchange.

“How sad of you to reject them so harshly. They did everything to create the monster you are today.”

“Stop talking nonsense,” Lotor said, annoyed. Amusement playing on the Dark Witch. He was playing with Lotor’s nerves. “The only monster here is you.”

“But we are not so different, Lotor,” his friend’s name rolling off the tongue in ease, undiluted rage encompassing Lotor’s once controlled expression. “I’m sure you took even more lives than I did, am I wrong?”

“Silence.”

“Did I touch a nerve? Did you remember all the innocent lives you stole in order to be who you are today?”

His words laced with cruelty neither Allura or Lance could ignore, exposing a secret Lance did not want to know about. He hated the meaning of their talk, and he hated the read of the situation, even more so as he took in the rage withering away into sorrow on Lotor’s face.

“I did not…” he stopped, quickly glancing at Lance before looking away. “It was never my wish.”

“But you liked it, right? The power, the strength, the superiority… you loved it, Lotor.”

“I did not…” 

Lance saw tiny pearls build up at the corner of Lotor’s purple eyes. Something was happening right under Allura and Lance’s noses, more than a fight between two opposing witches. It was Lotor’s struggle against his own ghosts; Hidden memories resurfacing from the grave Lotor had long dug up and abandoned, refusing their existence.

“You did. After all, you are just like your father.”

“I am not.”

Lotor’s marks went from a shine to an explosion, almost blinding the people around him. His fingers tensed, causing the Dark Witch to shiver from the pain Lotor inflicted on him. Lance first thought it was a light attack, the witch seeming only slightly uncomfortable. However, the effects gradually changed when the Dark Witch started to contort himself, his face even more distorted than it already was. All of a sudden a shriek pierced the calm night, awakening the spirits of the dead. Lance’s eyes widened, staring at Lotor as a boiling hatred overwhelmed his friend. Showed Lance a part of Lotor he had never seen in the years he had known him. 

“Lotor, stop it.” Allura’s pure voice pierced the air, briefly reaching Lotor. He was close to giving up when he heard her, a desperate light flickering his gaze.

“No Lotor, do it. Kill me. I am dangerous after all. Use your power. Do it. Show the world the blood that runs through your veins.”

The Dark Witch spat the words like curses, never stopping his constant discourse as Lotor fought the ghost of temptation embracing him. Allura called to him, to gain his attention so he would be able to escape from the nightmare the witch threw at him. But it did not work. His purple eyes turned darker and darker, Lotor begging for the witch to stop. His hands remained in the same contracted pose, torturing the Dark Witch screaming half in pain, half in entertainment. Lance had no idea what was happening, he could not think in his state, but Lotor’s suffering was heartbreaking as his expression was torn between unstoppable cries and frustration. 

‘Monster’

‘destructive weapon’

‘successful experiment’

‘father’s son’

All those words were shouted by the Dark Witch, driving Lotor over the edge. His purpose was evident, he wanted Lotor to use his power and kill him. Lance could see no logic behind such a goal, but it seemed like he just wanted to bring Lotor to his breaking point. The witch simply wanted to torture him.

So when Lance saw Lotor grit his teeth, cheeks soaked by tears as he was losing control of his abilities, Lance knew he could not resist anymore. Lotor’s arms stretched out, further contracting his fingers. Another shriek exploded from the Dark Witch’s mouth. Lotor was about to kill him, a disgusting, torn look adorning his usually so calm demeanor. Lance was certain Lotor would kill him. He would have if it had not been for Allura standing up to walk towards the man she loved.

Even in front of Lotor’s insane face covered by tears and sweat, Lance saw in Allura’s eyes the glimpse of a living being devoted to another. She accepted every side of him, loving him for the real person Lotor was.

Allura wrapped her arms around Lotor, huddling against him before squeezing his body as strong as possible. She knew it was the only way to remind him she was present. It was how she would always love Lotor, with all her heart. Allura would help him face all his nightmares no matter what.

“Lotor, please…” she whispered, burying her face in his neck. “You’re better than that. You’re not like them. You are good. They don’t have any influence on you anymore… you’re free, Lotor.”

Lance admired the pure scene, fascination piquing his interest when he saw Lotor soften. His purple eyes lightened to their normal hue and his torn look eventually smoothed over, breathing through it all. Taking in Allura. Lotor listened to Allura’s words with great attention, blinking out of the state as if he were waking up. As if she was his most precious treasure, the nightmare melting away into a dream.

“Don’t do what you don’t want to do. We don’t care about what they will say, I know who you are and so do you.” Allura stated, cupping her hand over Lotor’s wet cheek, staring at him with unconditional affection.

Lotor only focused on her. He was snapping and ready to break at any moment. But when Lotor completely relaxed his arms and released the unconscious Dark Witch, Lance understood the moment of torture and grief was over. Lotor’s arms embraced Allura carefully, as if he was scared to hurt her. 

The silence of the night had returned, a blissful quiet blessing the forest. While Lance admired the brave and sincere exchange of two mysterious lovers with ghosts Lance had never imagined, he realized he had found out a secret no one should ever know about. Honerva and Zarkon had a son, a witch whose power could annihilate the kingdom by a simple snap. And the fruit of their evil plan was Lotor.

\------------

The night had been exhausting. Lance had left Lotor and Allura after the encounter with the Dark Witch, going back to his place where Rosa had long fallen asleep. Thanks to Allura’s healing, Lance’s wounds on his neck closed up and disappeared, the wounds only skin-deep. But after leaving them for his home Lance could not help but dwell on the incident. He could barely sleep, thinking over what he had learned not only about Lotor, but also about Haggar.

The Dark Witch said something about Honerva wanting to come back to take over the country, preparing something for Marmora. Lance’s mulling was fruitless, unable to figure out a concrete explanation. Honerva was alone. Witches were incredibly rare in Marmora, and even if some remained, there was no way they would be enough. It would be impossible for her to raise an army to besiege the kingdom.

All the new information seemed like an old secret dug-up from the past and Lance could not help but having his curiosity piqued. Lance knew more about witches than most of the people in Marmora, yet, some elements were still blurry for him.

If there was a place in Marmora where he could hope to find just a tiny bit of knowledge, it was in Marmora’s library.

Entering the immense room, Lance always felt so small pressed between the imposing wooden bookcases. The area was quiet, a welcoming factor after yesterday’s events. There was no training scheduled for the day, which meant he had all the time he needed to look into the thousands of shelves. All he had to do was find clues about witches and Haggar.

Lance crossed the pristine floor, a lonely echo in the grand void of the impressive library. Unlike the outside, the library was shrouded in shadows, a way for the kingdom to preserve their sacred texts. And secrets. The solution to the lack of light was to provide candelabras on each table and desk, in addition to the few gigantic windows decorating the walls. Everything was made of wood, from the bookcases to the desks, passing by the chairs and the guardrails on each floor of the establishment. A few ornamentations decorated the walls to make the place more inviting, but it was still very plain when compared to the rest of the palace.

It was so big Lance started to lose himself between the shelves, unable to find any book about witches. He did not want to ask for help since it could sound suspicious for a boy of his age to show an interest in witches, what with them being hunted down and killed after all. But after going round in circles for over an hour without finding anything, he decided to ask help from one of the librarians.

Of all the thousands of bookcases holding infinite books about a variety of topics, only one was dedicated to witches. Half of it were works of fiction, created by Marmora’s writers to express the power of the kingdom. Lance found it ridiculous, especially since those stories were full of lies and unrealistic interpretations about witches. He did not give them much attention. What did interest him though were the theses redacted by researchers, and eventually the few historical books available.  
Yet, the more Lance skimmed through the books, the more he found himself getting discouraged. The historical books were factual, teaching absolutely nothing and lacking major information. They were also too biased, flaunting the might of the kingdom and how well the soldiers fought rather than bring forth knowledge.

A smile drew Lance’s lips every time he would find a book mentioning Adam’s biography, listing the knight’s achievements and the missions he had participated in. But even with Adam, the information was limited. Some clues were missing, as if a part of history was not supposed to be revealed.  
Lance led his hand towards another book. The title was not that relevant, nor was he expecting to find something interesting inside. But he already flicked through the umpteenth book, having no idea where to search anymore. Pulling the edge of another manuscript, Lance could see through the bookcase by the empty space the book had left behind. It was something he usually found funny with double bookcases but not this time, for the face appearing on the other side was a surprised, stupid Keith.

“Uh… hey Lance,” the Prince said through the gap. Lance answered with a grumble before shoving his nose in the book to ignore Keith. “Found anything interesting?”

Lance could feel his heart practically bursting out of his chest at Keith’s question. It was either a joke or a nightmare, but either way Keith would definitely not try and talk to him. Nope, couldn’t be possible. Though, despite Lance’s reluctance, he took a glance at the Prince through the bookcase’s gap, noticing a book in his hands about witches. Lance could not deny, they both must have come here for a similar reason.

“Look,” Lance sighed, closing his book before walking closer to the gap and whispering. “You stay on your side of the bookshelf and I stay on mine. No need to talk, no need to act as if we are friends. Just do your business and I’ll do mine.”

A silence followed Lance’s remark as Keith stared at him. Keith looked like he was trying to figure out what to say, giving into Lance’s statement and returning to his spot. But when Lance thought he could go back to his own research, Keith approached the gap once again.

“So… you’re interested in witches?”

“Oh my god…” Lance heavily exhaled, smacking the book closed and placing it back in its spot, sealing the hole. A quick and easy solution so he would not continue to be tortured by Keith’s damn face.

Or at least, he thought he solved the problem until the Prince left his side of the bookcase to join Lance.

“Are you kidding me?” Lance forced himself to stay quiet in order to not bring the librarian’s attention.  
“Why were you searching about witches?”

“It’s none of your damn business,” Lance snapped, surprised by Keith’s sudden proximity. “What’s up with you today?”

“Nothing, we’re just searching about the same topic so I thought—”

“You thought what?” Lance interrupted, scowling at the Prince. “You do your stuff and I do mine.”  
“Lance, haven’t you noticed the lack of documentation about witches and Marmora’s history?”

Lance glared at Keith. It was infuriating to keep hearing his voice even after all the boundaries he had settled between them. However, Keith had a point. For a kingdom willing to show its greatness before its people, not many books reported actual facts about witches. Even though everyone knew witches were a hot topic for researchers, historians, and the knights. Why would there be so little information on the beings they claim to specialize at?

“So what? It’s not as if we can do anything about it.”

“We can,” Keith answered, leaning closer to Lance, a hand cupped near the base of his mouth, whispering what Lance refused to consider. “If there is nothing here, we can probably find something in the Royal Library.”

Flustered, Lance stepped back a bit, eyes stuck on Keith’s bottomless eyes.

“What are you talking about? In case you forgot the Royal Library is closed to visitors. Only the King and crown prince can go there. And in case you suddenly got a bout of amnesia, Your Highness, you’re neither of them.”

Amused, Keith smirked and raised an eyebrow at Lance’s reaction. He blinked, getting a strange feeling as to what was crossing Keith’s mind.

“Who said we would do it legally?” he murmured, his pride displeasing Lance. “Things are more fun when you don’t follow the rules.”

Classic Keith, Lance thought. He hated him for being a spoiled privileged prince, but he would always recognize the boy had some guts and a taste for adventure.

“And how do you plan on entering the Royal Library? You don’t have the keys, smartass.”

“The advantage of being a prince is that it’s easy to steal from the royal family. It would not be the first time I tricked my father.”

Keith’s proposition had piqued Lance’s curiosity. The Royal Library was placed in the Marmora castle, locked and bolted with the best mechanisms to make sure no one but the key possessors could enter. It was not as big as Marmora’s official library, but many rumors ran about the carefully sealed room holding some very private information.

“Do you realize I could report your plan to the King?” Lance asked, curious to see Keith’s reaction.

“I know you won’t,” he said with a smile. “Because you too are tired of Marmora’s system, right?”

Lance was startled, fixing him with an odd interest. Keith’s idea was quite beneficial for Lance. He would not have a second chance, and who knew what he could find in the Royal Library.

“Okay.” Lance whispered, offering Keith his hand to shake. 

“Then it’s a deal?” 

Keith grinned, satisfied and already anticipating Lance’s next move. Lance stared at the Prince as he offered his hand, the distance between them becoming smaller and smaller by the days. Ocean blues locked with crystallized amethyst, Lance grabbed his palm, holding Keith’s gaze. Just this once, Lance could team up with Keith. After all, it was obvious the King was hiding things from the people, and Lance was determined to find out what it is.

“Deal.”

\------------

The evening arrived in a blink of an eye. It was only a matter of time before the night would engulf the day, hungry to snuff out the light and awaken the gods and monsters. Lance was crossing the heart of Marmora’s kingdom, passing by the market place where various merchants were hailing passersby.

Lance loved scouring the stalls, taking a moment out of his days to find a beautiful piece of fabric for his mother. It warmed his mother’s heart, and she thrived on having another piece to work on in her growing collection. But he did not have the luxury to do so today. Lance had spent his whole day at the library, searching for information he could never find. After Keith’s proposition, he still wanted to make sure there was a hundred percent nothing vital hidden in the library of Marmora. A thought crossed Lance’s mind as he accidentally bumped into some people, immediately apologizing for his lack of attention. Keith had come to the library to investigate witches, and the idea did not please Lance. He did not like Keith sticking his nose into the witches’ world. He already disrupted Lance’s training life with the knights, he did not need Keith rocking the periods of his temporary freedom as well. He hoped he would not cross his path tonight.

Briefly glancing at the different products around him without an intention of buying something, Lance noticed a familiar silhouette at a shop, exchanging with a fruit merchant.

“Hunk!” Lance called before rushing to his friend. Hunk turned to the source, a huge smile greeting Lance. “What’s up? You’re not at the forge?”

“No, my mom asked me to buy some fruit for the orphanage,” Hunk said, squeezing a pear in his palm to make sure the fruit was ripe. “She’ll probably need some help there.”

Hunk’s family was known for starting the most popular forge up in town, which was their main occupation. But since Hunk’s mother loved to cook, she would often offer help at the orphanage to feed the children. Hunk enjoyed participating as well whenever he was not busy with his apprenticeship.

“I’m still waiting for you to come to the forge and let me take care of your blade.” Hunk chuckled, putting the pear— apparently not corresponding to his taste— back where it came from. Setting aside his hunt for the right pears, he focused on the mandarins next.

“Oh yeah, sorry I’ve been a bit busy with the training and… other stuff lately.”

Lance’s avoidance caught Hunk’s attention, glancing at his friend. The two of them had only met up once since Lance visited him at the forge, but there was a chance he had truly been busy. Lance seemed less exhausted than when he visited the forge. A couple days ago, Lance had come to talk to Hunk. Things happened at training and he needed to open his heart to a friend, and obviously Hunk would be more than willing to listen and help the friend he loved dearly.

“By the way, did things settle with Adam? Last time we met you were concerned about him being mad at you for your behavior at practice.”

Lance hummed at Hunk’s question. Ten days had passed since Lance’s fight with James and his talk with Keith. James had the decency to apologize for the punches he threw at Lance. They were short and cold apologies, but Lance knew well enough that what he said had meaning. Moreover, Lance could not blame James for what he said about him. For a soldier like James who was working every day to make sure he could protect the people from danger, Lance could understand the frustration he felt seeing Lance unable to even stand. From all the future knights in Marmora, James resembled Adam the most.

“Well yes, I mean it’s Adam,” Lance replied, smiling to himself. He remembered the discussion with Adam the day after the fight. “Basically he told me I should go to him if I had any problems and that I should not endure things alone in my corner. I think he was trying to comfort me as best he could.”

“That’s a good thing. Adam is a good man.” Hunk said, smiling.

“He is.”

Lance stayed silent for a bit, looking at Hunk picking the fruit he had chosen carefully and paid the merchant. As they walked through the market, Lance still had his head in the clouds. There was so much he wished he could tell Hunk. He knew he would probably never judge him, open his arms to Lance in the same way he had done in the past. Yet he could not bring himself to confide in him. Because by telling Hunk his deepest secrets he would also put him in danger. Lance was thankful he could share just a tiny bit of his worries with him.

“Actually… Adam is not the one who makes me worry lately.” Lance began, as they crossed the crowded marketplace.

“Oh? Who?”

“Keith.”

Hunk snickered.

“I should have guessed.”

“No, really. He’s acting weird,” Lance said, defensive. The look he was giving him, the way Keith had approached him at the library, it was odd. Lance could not recall when was the last time they were not at each other’s throats. “I saw him at the library today and he literally tried to act all friendly with me for absolutely no reason.”

“Well maybe there is a reason,” Hunk’s eyes softened, keeping Lance’s gaze. “I’ve heard from some people in town that the Prince was in strange spirits. I don’t know what they meant since I’m not close to him, but maybe it is linked to the way he was acting towards you.”

Lance sighed. Of course he knew the reason for Keith's absences. He was the reason. He was the witch Keith kept pestering for the past ten days. But for Keith to come to Lance and try to get close to him again… It disturbed Lance.

“Honestly, I just want for him to disappear from my life. How is that so hard to ask?”

Hunk casted a glance at Lance, weighing his words carefully.

“You know… I remember when we were children, you were, like, the most popular boy in town. All the kids wanted to be your friend no matter what, and I was part of those kids! I was super happy when you started talking to me,” Hunk began, a tint of nostalgia coloring his voice. “But out of all the children it was obvious your favorite was Keith. You guys had the most wonderful friendship ever.”

Lance listened to Hunk, his gaze fixed on the gravel path as he recalled those distant, almost ancient days of innocence. He knew what Hunk was trying to do, and he knew no one understood the reason why Lance was still resentful towards Keith and his lost memories. They meant well, but it did not make it easier every time someone tried convincing him to forgive Keith. They did not know the hell roiling in Lance’s soul, twisting itself into knots. They did not know, and it was all Keith’s fault.

“You guys were always playing a game, faking being some sort of paladin living thousands of years in the future, on an adventure to save the world from who knows what kind of incredible dangerous creatures.” Hunk continued, prying a quiet laugh from Lance.

“Yeah… We called the game ‘The Great Adventure of Red and Blue’,” Lance added. Reminiscing on those silly, fun memories was half lovely, half heartbreaking for him. “I wanted something cooler than using colors as our names but Keith really wanted to be called Red. So I decided to do the same and call myself Blue.”

A huge smile appearing on Lance’s normally sullen attitude, Hunk patted Lance’s back as a sleeping warmth reignited Lance’s irises.

“See, those are pretty memories. I know it’s not easy even though I don’t really get why you are so mad at him, but for Keith to disappear from your life would also mean the loss of those memories,” Lance refocused on Hunk. “Maybe you could try and give him a chance if he is reaching out for you again.”

Obviously, Hunk would say that. Obviously, it was not easy for Lance to move on. There was a constant curse coming back to Lance every night, reminding him of the prison he would forever live in. And all the elements inside the prison were sending him back to Keith. The more time he spent, the more Lance associated Keith to his perfect hell, forcing him to erase Keith and the lost happiness of two kids living in the ghost of a dream.

“You say my most wonderful friendship was with Keith, but I don’t think I could ever find a better friend than you, Hunk.”

Lance said, putting an end to the topic.

“Come on! You’re going to make me cry!” Hunk laughed, making Lance smile. He had one of those infectious laughs Lance absolutely adored.

“You always cry anyway.”

“You know what? I want a new best friend.” The apprentice smithy replied, faking a pout and crossing his arms in discontent.

It was refreshing for Lance to spend time with Hunk. As little as it had been his watered down spirits had been replenished, Hunk’s sunshine casting away the shadows. Unfortunately, it was late and night would soon fall, allowing Lance to go for his usual night walk.

“Okay buddy,” Lance said, retracing his steps backwards as a means to signify his exit. “I really have to go now. But I swear I’ll pass by the forge and give you my rapier next time.”

Hunk raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised the boy suddenly had to go. But he resisted the urge to ask why, knowing very well how Lance cherished his privacy. It was technically none of Hunk’s business, and though he was concerned, he did not wish to be pushed away. Choosing to smile as cheerful as possible, Hunk waved at him, his loud voice piercing the distance to reach for his friend.

“You better do that! I’ll give you a sweet price!”

Lance let out a sweet, thrilling laugh at the remark, free of a weight Hunk could never guess. It left Hunk feeling a bit reassured. Lance was very good at hiding his emotions, so as long as Hunk could, he would do his best to make him smile like he used to do in the past.

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A cold breeze brushed Lance’s skin, goosebumps dotting his flesh as the boy noticed the lacking reassurance the night gave off. Even though the forest glittered with life and flourishing vitality doused him in a calming shield meant to fight off his fears, the blood rushing through his veins did not slow.

Rosa noticed how anxious Lance was before leaving their house. Lance did not tell her about the events of the night before, he did not want her to worry more than she already was whenever he left. It was one bad experience after another, unsure if mischief had decided to give Lance a break for the remainder of his waking hours.

Not to mention Lotor and Allura could sense Lance from afar. Before last night, he never noticed how much they were taking care of him, how much they watched over him and his choices. Lance could not help but be plagued by guilt for making everyone so concerned, having to keep an eye on him for no reason. He was a burden.

The soles of his feet dug into the dry soil of the forest, the woods still marked by his presence from the other day, despising every inch calling him out on his sloppiness. He was one with his confines, the chains wrapped around his wrists and ankles clanging loud as a reminder of who he would forever be. Lance could pull and yank but he would remain vulnerable.

The forest was holding all his secrets, all his darkest memories, all his nightmares. Yet, he would keep visiting the land, because he could never be freed from the past.

Lance passed by the great weeping willow, its vibrant leaves capturing his heart every time he would visit. Traversing through the natural veil of branches, Lance used a bit of his power to make sure no one was around, relieved to not sense Keith’s perfume. Probably the Prince had decided to leave him alone after Lance rejected him.

It was a miracle Keith did not recognize Lance, though it was not that surprising. His human form and witch form were completely different. His face was almost entirely covered by a veil in order to prevent anyone from recognizing the shape of Lance’s visage. Adding the change of eyes and hair color, markings, and clothing, Lance knew it would be difficult to perceive his real identity. And apparently, his voice did not betray him. Surely the witch’s strong aura was too overwhelming for Keith to analyze the situation. It was an option Lance should not forget.

Approaching the lake, Lance crouched down, studying his own reflection through the glass of water. It was weird how in a handful of days, hundreds of things had changed. The way Keith looked at him, the way he addressed him, the way he smiled at him, it was as if Keith tried to go back to the old, forgotten era of innocence and kindness. Lance hated it. He did not want to build anything with Keith again, not after the hefty cost the friendship sucked away at him. For Keith to act all friendly in front of Lance and all flirty in front of his witch form, it was an unfair game Lance refused to fall for.

But after what Hunk said to him at the marketplace, Lance’s heart was full of contradictions. His long fingers sank in the freshwater, creating tiny circles, the waves slowly shaping the cherubic face of Keith. A shy, tender expression adorned Lance as he remembered the angelic excitement of the little boy he used to play with so much. He did not want to forget that. Hunk was right, they had lived too many beautiful adventures to give up on the fairy tale of the past. But Lance wanted to forget the sour tang of being abandoned and betrayed. He wanted to forget his heartbreak when he realized Keith had no memories about who he was. Of what they were. Lance wanted to forget the growing blossoms of love withering into decay, its bright pink petals becoming muddy and crisp with loss. For the boy he adored with all his being gave way to a torture there was no escape from.

Maybe it was unfair to blame Keith for something he could not control, but it was all Lance could do. Because if he did not blame Keith, then Lance would never run away from the pain of reality, tearing his heart into small pieces. He would never be able to one day leave the kingdom and search for his own freedom.

It was easy for witches to fall into lunacy since most of the time they were either isolated or recruited by the Dark Witches. Lotor and Allura had found each other, and Lance had been able to glimpse a part of what Lotor would have ended up like if Allura was not there to moderate him. But that was not what shook Lance to his core. When Lance was pinned by the dark, intense violet irises of the Dark Witch, his torn reflection morphed into what he most feared: to be consumed by revenge and despair. To end up in the same places as the darkness looking back at him. He had no one. No friend to confide in about his witch side, no family to pester and fall in the arms of.

Lance was completely isolated.

Lance’s fingers drifted away from the lake’s surface, Keith and their past muddling with the waves. As he abandoned what little he had left of his happiness, he heard a noise from behind. The smell was so strong there was no doubt about their identity. Lance grimaced, standing before spinning round to look straight at Keith.

“Are you kidding me right now?” Lance spat, furious.

“Just let me speak,” Keith said, walking closer without a warning. “I’m not here to hurt you. I had to come back tonight, no matter what.”

“Stop right here,” Lance gave Keith a threatening look. “Who do you think you are? Coming back every night, trying to get close to me, trying to touch me, trying to know me… do you think you are special or something like that?”

“I don’t,” Keith answered, interrupting his walk and staring down at the witch, a new found determination lighting his normally dead gaze. “I keep coming back because I think you’re special, and I don’t want for you to go through a hell you don’t deserve.”

Lance chuckled. What pretty words. But coming from the little Prince’s mouth? They made no sense.  
“So what?” Lance sneered, raising an eyebrow, glaring at the stars twinkling in Keith’s violet orbs. “You think you can protect me?”

“Yes.”

Keith’s reply was so quick Lance’s heart could not help but squeeze for a second. The situation was ridiculous. If there was one person in the whole world Lance did not want any help from, it was Keith. Though, the boy Lance hated with all his being was right in front of him, telling Lance exactly what he wanted to hear -except he wished it was from anyone else. He would have wanted it from anyone.

“Well that’s a shame. I don’t need anyone to protect me.”

Lance diverted his eyes from Keith, a taint of sorrow bleaching his hollowed out soul. It was better for him to remain alone than to give his trust to Keith once again. It was not what Lance wanted, and it would never be what he wanted. Keith had been the first human to ever betray Lance, and for that reason, Lance could not believe in Keith. Not a second time.

A quiver ran through Lance’s body. Suddenly, something felt odd. The air became heavier and his heart started to beat fast. Lance’s eyes searched for the moon, trying to read through its blessings, scouring the reason for caution to stab him in the back. But he could not find anything. He kept an eye on Keith as he examined his surroundings, his powers passing through every corner and shadow nature gave.

And like Lance predicted, the forest lost its safety as people penetrated his territory.

From the number of steps he could hear, it was a whole battalion entering the woods. Their objective was predictable, invading the forest in search of something important. Powerful. It was only a matter of time before they reached Lance’s location.

“You didn’t come alone, did you?” Lance’s gaze filled with terror as he stared at Keith, desperation mirroring the two boys. “I’m such an idiot…”

“I did not,” Keith confirmed, dread sucking away what little air they had, the magic of the forest dying and the rustling animals coming out. “That’s why I came tonight. I knew soldiers would come to the lake today and I wanted to—”

Keith’s voice died out as he saw the witch crouch, head in his hands and muttering softly; frenzied. The witch was paralyzed, unable to make a move, ready to accept his sentence. Witnessing the witch in such a state, a picture from the past came back to Keith like a lightning bolt striking a nocturnal tempest. With the witch’s silhouette huddled like a weak and scared animal, Keith could recall the same reaction he had the day he pierced Zarkon’s heart. He remembered almost six years ago, begging for the invasion to be a nightmare. He stayed hidden in the throne’s room, his head plunged in his hands and not knowing what he should do. Keith would have done anything to have someone by his side telling him what to do, reasoning with him and giving him the will to protect his brother and the kingdom. But no one was there when Keith found the strength to kill Zarkon. He was alone. Alone with his fear, alone with his anxiety, alone with the void of the unknown staring back at him, taunting him. Everything was put on his shoulders for him to handle alone.

And there was no way he would let anyone go through the same experience as him. There was no way he would leave the witch alone.

Without losing more time, Keith neared the witch, grabbing his wrist with a gentle pressure as to not seem too forceful. But the witch did not take kindly to Keith’s gesture, ripping his hand away as he glared up at the prince, eyes filled with unshed tears.

“Don’t you dare touch me.”

The witch spat, guttural and tight. He was on the verge of panic, unable to think clearly. Keith squatted down, his stardust eyes meeting the mauve diamond gaze of the witch, sharing with him a sense of calm to reassure him.

“I’m sorry,” Keith murmured, slowly raising his hand out again but did not touch the witch. “But if we don’t run away from here right now, they will find you and hurt you. I don’t want that.”

Keith worked to keep his voice even, letting the witch know he did not have to give up. That his fate was not yet sealed, a door opening for them to escape in. To let him understand nothing would happen to him. Though the witch did not let down his guard, he seized the moment and clasped his hand around Keith’s palm, giving all his trust to Keith.

“Let’s go.”

Keith whispered before drawing the witch with him, running away from the lake the troops would soon find. As the two boys raced past the trees, the metallic clank of heavy footsteps rushing through the forest came to Keith’s ears. The soldiers were close, and if the witch and him had stayed at the lake for one more minute, their fate would have been sealed in the blink of an eye.

Keith did not give it much thought. They had no time to dwell on what could have happened. All that mattered in the moment was the distance they had to keep between them and the battalion. They needed to get as far away as possible, find a hiding place among the majestic trees to shield the Prince and the witch. Though it was not an easy task, Adam had been the one settling the expedition. Adam’s absence might be a weakness for the army, but his plan was perfect enough to follow and catch their prey without much worry. His tactics had no flaws, Keith knew that more than anyone.

They dashed through branches and jumped over roots, rummaging through the silver leaves kissed by the moon’s maiden, its moonlight lightening the shadows of its dark brethren. The loud, pounding thuds of armors rumbled all around them, making Keith struggle to focus on his objective. They were surrounded, caged by the trap set up by Adam and led by Sendak.

“Fucking army...” Keith murmured to himself.

Backing into a tree to hide themselves, Keith took a moment to think. There had to be a solution, a hole in Sendak’s leadership to escape the kingdom’s grip. They could not be caught so easily, not without being given a tiny chance to elude the tragedy waiting for them. The witch’s grip moved to Keith’s palm, squeezing. He remained silent. His long, white eyelashes forming a cloud over his eyelids, purple irises lost to the doom slowly making its way towards them. Keith could see right through him, the witch’s distress and resignation swallowing what was left of the spark Keith admired.

Keith hated it. He had to think about something, quickly.

It could be anything, any stupid idea leading them to shelter. Everyone and everything had a weakness, including Adam’s tactics. Keith just had to figure it out. As if answering his pleading prayers, a realization hit him in a flash. The hollow tree. The villager who reported the witch’s presence talked about a hollow tree. It was big enough to hide inside it without being seen by the magic creature the subject was protected himself from. It was not a foolproof solution, but it was all they had. And if Keith could find the slightest opportunity to save the witch, then he would take it without hesitation.

“There is a hollow tree not far from here,” Keith whispered, forcing himself to stay quiet as he looked at the witch. “We could hide there until they leave, but I don’t know where to find it. If you have an idea as to where it is, tell and we just may survive.”

The witch blinked, processing the information. He gritted his teeth, apprehensive over trusting Keith and his motives. But the witch had few options to choose from. Be it his will to live or his fear to die, the witch nodded, tightening his grip around the Prince’s hand before reluctantly dragging him towards the hollowed tree. He walked with familiarity, the witch’s dance never faltering for the forest was like looking at the back of his hand. While Keith had wandered for years inside his huge empty castle, the witch shielded himself below the foliage of the trees, a true child of mother nature. In any case, the witch’s knowledge of the woods allowed them to reach for the immense carcass in a few minutes. The tree was stunning, tremendous and covered by moss, looming in the middle of its natural environment like an old king watching over his subjects. From the outside, there was not a hint of space among its trunk. Yet, by walking closer Keith noticed a cramped spot, hidden behind the great branches and beautiful plants, big enough for two people to huddle inside it.

The screech of armors got louder and louder, announcing the arrival of unwanted destruction, their ruthlessness plaguing the peaceful chirp of the wild. Keith pulled the witch inside the hole, joining him a second later. He had to believe in their luck and wait for the storm to calm. The place was tight but it seemed safe, making Keith sigh in relief. The witch stood in front of him, glued to the outside to make sure no one was around. The light spread by his eyes and the luminescence of the marks coloring his skin produced a dim glow in the dark. The sensation of the witch’s cold palms pressing Keith’s hand surprised him, as if the witch was too scared to let go of him. It was obvious the witch did not feel secure. His breathing hitched and his eyes unblinking, the witch was unable to look away from the outside and forget the soldiers surrounding them. His purple eyes were still filled with pearls of water; the panic never leaving his body.

The image of the witch terrified by the idea of being found reminded Keith of the dream he had every night. The warning of witches’ fears, someone breathing right next to him, waiting for the day people would find them. It was the exact situation happening under Keith’s gaze. What Keith had been taught about witches all his life was wrong. The beliefs put in his head like a stupid lie told to a naïve child, everything was wrong. All witches were not a threat, all witches did not want to harm people, all witches were not monsters. They were humans, caring for their life and scared of the unforeseeable future.

Shocked by the witch before him showing a side no one had ever seen, Keith caressed one of the witch’s white hair strands, squeezing it between his fingers the same way he did the night before. But unlike last night, the witch did not reject him, staring at Keith with a gaze Keith could not understand. 

They looked at each other, their bodies so close inside the hollow tree it felt like there was no place for intimacy anymore.

“I won’t leave you alone,” Keith whispered, a sweet smile curling his lips as he never let go of the witch’s hand. “No matter what happens, I’ll stay with you.”

Keith saw the witch widen his enchanting purple eyes, shining stars in the middle of a lonely night. His attraction to the witch was undeniable. Maybe his aura was the reason for the ignited passion filling Keith’s conscience with smoke, or maybe it was something else. But the sudden sensation of the witch wrapping his arms around him brought Keith on cloud nine. The pressure of a gentle move bringing them closer, allowing Keith to feel his heartbeat, it had been enough for Keith to know he would do anything to protect the witch from danger.

Absorbed by each other’s gaze, Keith believed such a stare could mesmerize any human on earth. His pulse racing and his cheeks warming to the touch, Keith had no idea what to do. He knew very little about the witch, so little his protection could warrant questions, but the contact was enough to fog Keith’s mind and lose all his sense of rationality.

But when the sound of steps getting way too close to the tree breached Keith’s ears, the witch startled, shivering between the arms holding him. Someone was close — too close — and the more they examined the area, the more Keith could feel their interest pull towards the hollow tree. They were about to be discovered.

Keith took a deep breath, passing one of his hands over his sword, and flipped through the options he had left. He had no idea what to do. Using his status could be a solution, yet it could also cost him a lot. Attacking could lead him to his end depending on the person approaching them. If it had been Adam, maybe the knight would have been able to understand the situation, yet Adam had been forbidden to participate in the expedition. No matter who the person was, Keith would have to defeat them. He closed his eyes, leaving his belt sword tied around his chest and embraced the witch tighter. If Keith had no solution, he at least wanted to let the witch know he would stay until the very end. And oddly, his reaction seemed to have an effect, for the witch stopped shivering, snuggling up against Keith like he was the most precious person in the world.

It would be a weird end. Keith had always wished to live a great adventure, to run away for the kingdom and be freed from his father’s iron grip. If he was to be found at the moment and to die, he would have somehow accomplished his dream. Going against his father’s rules, being caught in the forest and meeting a fascinating witch... It was not a bad end.

Some died without finding a meaning to their existence. But Keith would die for what he believed in, for someone he grew attached to. His arms embraced the terrified yet brave witch, begging for the universe to at least spare him from a cruel destiny. Keith was helpless, but never did he consider letting go of the witch. He would stay until the very end.

Yet, hearing the determined call of a soldier travel among the trees, asking for backup from the ones who were near, Keith hoped for death to stay hidden deep in the shadows. It was not time for their end. The knight wandering around the hollow tree interrupted his stride, not making a move, nothing but the wind dared to disturbed the mystical woods. Another call rang out, informing the battalion about a witch’s presence. Someone had been found, and it was not Keith’s witch. It was someone Keith could not protect since his arms were too busy holding the slim body of another. The clang of the armor started again, the knight nearing the tree, intrigued by the uncommon form of its trunk. A metallic hand scraped against the bark, the witch flinching in Keith’s embrace. Only a thin wall protected the two boys from imminent doom.

“I believe there is someone here… or am I going crazy?”

Keith frowned, frustrated the knight would not back off and join his brethren. They were so close to being off the hook, but the threat did not ease. His palm went right over the witch’s mouth, making sure he would not make a noise as he himself held his breath. He knew that voice. A rough and haunting one, unbearable to listen to whenever Keith would cross his path in the castle. Of course the one threatening them had to be Sendak. A man with no moral, no mercy, no consideration for the life of innocents. Keith had no chance in front of the cruelest soldier his kingdom had ever known. But fate seemed to take the boys’ sides, for another call ran through the forest, asking for Sendak’s assistance. The knight was supposed to be leading the battalion after all, his absence was to be noticeable. A silence fell again, Keith and the witch hushed, leaving no evidence of their existence. 

Sendak hesitated, so close to discovering the truth beyond the opening, the Prince protecting one of their common enemies. However, duties were supposed to come before his grim obsessions, and Sendak had not given much importance to his responsibilities as part of the expedition. After a couple of seconds, the knight grumbled, muttering his annoyance as he reluctantly gave up. The groan of his armor slowly faded in the night, the warmth and peace protected by the moonlight returning.

Time seemed to have disappeared. The sudden serenity taking over the chaotic darkness befuddled Keith’s mind. His boiling blood felt cold, goosebumps dotting his pale skin. Harmony had won and was taking back the crown from the devil, allowing no other soul on its field other than the Prince and the witch’s brothers and sisters. Everything was quiet, even the soft breeze caressing the branches around them and the owls hooting from above. Nature claimed back its territory and children. 

Realizing they avoided the unspeakable, Keith’s head cleared and the soft fragrance of blooming buds and trail of the lake tickled his nose. Neither could he ignore the close proximity of the witch, a sharp sensation spreading around his chest. He wished they could have stayed in the moment forever, his conscience yielding into tranquility squeezing the witch’s shape tighter and tighter. But they should not linger in the same place much longer. The night had been stretched out enough already, and their gentle exchange had to end.

“We should go before someone comes back.”

Keith said, his arms falling into his sides as the witch remained silent. He just followed Keith, leaving the hollow tree as the moon ignited the witch’s marks.

Walking through the forest, Keith watched as the witch gave his attention to their environment, cautious of the battalion not too far away. Being that the real target of the search was not the one with Keith, the Prince’s conscience was reassured, knowing Adam would not suffer from his intervention. It would be deemed a success and the kingdom could continue their normal routine of ignorance.

After striding across the woods, the witch stopped. Keith, who followed him until said point, stared at his back, wondering why their walk suddenly got interrupted. When the witch turned around, Keith remained confused, his brows knitting and his head tilted to the side. Keith was sure they were out of danger.

The huge trees surrounding them were all similar, to the point Keith could barely recognize their location. Unlike with the lake and the boulder Keith was usually going to, the area had no specific attribute to recognize it.

“If you keep walking ahead you will reach a path,” the witch explained, meeting Keith’s gaze. “Follow the path by turning left and you will reach the kingdom.”

Keith understood it was time for the witch and him to pull apart. But even though he was glad everything had turned well, Keith did not want to leave. Not without checking on the witch’s well-being.

“What about you?” Keith asked, trying to find a way to stay with him a little longer.

“I’ll just keep walking around. I need to restore my energy.”

The witch’s voice was soft. He did not reject Keith the same way he used to, angry and one step away from dousing him in the water for a third time.

“Some soldiers might still be here. It can be dangerous for you, I can—”

“You will not do anything. Just go home,” the witch interrupted, a stern look on his face. “You saw how dangerous it is to come here and how dangerous it is to be around a witch. Do you even know what would have happened to you if they had found us? Just… stop coming, please.”

Keith listened, but he could not agree. If the woods had been his space of freedom, they now had become his addiction. He sensed a pull to the witch; a desire, a need to see him every night, a siren’s song calling for him beyond the sea. He could fight like mad against it, but the burning pull would never extinguish.

“I can’t stop coming,” Keith said, walking closer to him, attention trained on the witch. “There is something about you that attracts me and turns my mind blank. When you’re not here I can’t think of anyone else but you. I have a need to see you.”

The witch was silent, as if he was trying to figure out what he should say, or what he could say.

“It’s because of the link between you and I, Keith,” Keith’s ears twitched at hearing his name cross the witch’s mouth. It was the first time he had addressed him directly. “I know it’s hard to get, but those are not your real feelings.”

“What do you mean by a ‘link’?”

Keith’s question did not gain him an answer, the witch clamming up even more. It was like pulling teeth, the witch making it evident he knew to a greater extent than what he was leading on. The obstacle was small to Keith, however, the boy was determined to investigate this ‘link’”.

“I will come back. I want you to know that.”

“Don’t.” The witch replied just as quickly. He may no longer be carrying on the scathing fury from earlier, but he did bring about concern in those violets orbs, surprising Keith just a little.

“Then find a way to convince me not to,” Keith’s voice broke a bit, his distress invading deep inside his soul. “At least give me an explanation. You talk about a link and you ask me to stay away from you because the closer I get, the more I put myself in danger. Who are you really trying to protect there? You or me?”

The witch kept quiet, showing an odd fascination for the ground, unable to face the Prince.

“Both of us,” he whispered in the breeze, his sigh fluttering his veil upwards. “It’s for both you and I that I don’t want for you to come. It put us in danger.”

“But are you safer when I’m not here?” Keith said, the witch losing all interest in the ground for the Prince gained all his attention. “Maybe I’m safer when I’m far away from you, but what about you? Would have things turned better if I didn’t come tonight? If you feel in danger when I’m here, then I’ll stop coming. I’ll leave you alone if you tell me our distance will keep you safe.” 

Plum gemstones falling into a dark, endless galaxy, the Prince and the witch’s silent exchange said more than words could have. Only one answer, and the story would be over. Keith waited, but the witch never talked.

“Then…” Keith continued, the beauty of the witch absorbing all his fantasies. “Do you mind if I come here again? Is it dangerous for you?”

Thousands of thoughts seemed to cross the witch’s mind, his features marked by a torn expression. Keith did not know what blocked the witch, he had no idea what kind of contradictions were running in his head. Yet, he could still remember the pressure of the witch’s fingers around his palm, like a will to never be left alone again.

“I don’t… mind.” 

The witch muttered, turning his back to Keith as he considered their talk over. He could have put an end to everything and asked Keith to stop searching for him in the forest. But the witch decided otherwise, his final choice lightening Keith’s sense as he watched the witch head in the opposite direction of his path. The moon was still powerful in the heart of the starry sky. The night was not close to over for the witch and surely he would have to wander in the woods for a couple of hours. 

Yet, there was one last thing Keith needed to ask before putting an end to their conversation.

“I still have something I wanted to ask you.” Keith said, ceasing the witch’s steps.

“What now?”

“If I can’t know who you are, at least tell me what I should call you.”

Silence fell. It was probably not common for people to ask the witch how he would like to be addressed. Keith did not want to only see him as a witch. He wanted to put a name on the face invading his mind and captivating him with a deep passion.

It took awhile for the witch to answer, but when Keith heard him quietly chuckle as he returned to his walk, he heard his voice echoing in the forest like an old call.

“Just call me Blue.”


End file.
